Devereux Chambers

Our professional negligence group includes leading silks and a number of talented juniors who can help secure the best possible outcome from a wide range of disputes. Their reputations and expertise are reflected in the legal directories and they are well respected and popular with leading solicitors and clients.

We have extensive experience of bringing and defending claims involving a comprehensive array of professionals and other specialist advisers, including those operating in legal services, insurance, financial institutions, accountants/tax advisers, the construction industry, energy and natural resources companies, partnerships and medical practitioners.

We offer advice at every stage of a claim from advising on the merits and quantum of cases, to drafting pre-action protocol letters of claim and response, statements of case and mediation position statements, and attending mediations and representing clients in arbitrations, at trial or on appeal. Our approach is strategic, robust, and pragmatic.

Our clients also benefit from our superior knowledge and experience of the insurance and reinsurance market and our King's Counsel accept instructions pursuant to 'KC' clauses in professional indemnity policies and act as arbitrators.

Junior members of the team have had recent experience in matters relating to:

mortgage loans (solicitors and valuers), and associated transactions;
mis-selling of a variety of investment products, including CDO’s (collateralized debt obligation) and Accumulators, interest rate hedging products and a variety of other claims with a consumer credit element;
solicitors' negligence, with current cases including the late service of proceedings, alleged failure to properly advise, under-settlement, missed limitation and conveyancing matters;
a claim arising out of an asbestosis action which was struck out on the grounds of abuse of process arising out of the Claimant's solicitors handling of the expert liability evidence;
professional negligence actions arising from the handling of estates, related tax liabilities and applications to the Court of Protection as well as related claims concerning equitable estoppel;
all aspects of clinical negligence involving healthcare providers, including nurses, dentists, and veterinary surgeons;
a defence on behalf of an architect where a claim was brought by an individual who had assigned his rights to claim professional negligence to another party. The claim was withdrawn in face of an application to strike out;
a claim against an IFA in respect of SIPP investments in offshore bonds.

Members of the team have delivered seminars to solicitors on topics including:

Lawyers' negligence in employment claims;
Limitation in professional negligence claims;
SAAMCO and the Recoverability of Losses in a Falling Market;
Negligence claims against insurance brokers, surveyors/valuers, and lawyers: What's new?