Experience
I am a partner in BLM's property damage department.
My practice includes a range of insurance and commercial litigation, particularly property damage disputes arising out of fires, explosions, escapes of water, and design/construction failures. I defend incoming liability claims and pursue subrogated recoveries, as well as providing advice to insurers in relation to policy indemnity (especially PL and CAR policies).
Examples of my recent work:
- Acting for insurers in arbitration proceedings brought by an insured main contractor. The insurers declined a claim brought by their insured arising from a fire at a building constructed under a PFI contract. The dispute involved questions as to the scope of cover under a PL policy and novel arguments in relation to issues of pure economic loss and “complex structure” theory. Following a hearing in 2020 the arbitrator dismissed the insured’s claim.
- Acting for an annual policy insurer in relation to a multi-million pound CAR coverage dispute arising from the failure of a paint system on an energy infrastructure project. The case involved complex and novel issues regarding the construction of the annual policy and the employer-arranged project policy; and alleged late notification under both policies. The claim was successful resolved pre-action with ADR.
- Acting for a principal contractor on a high value construction and engineering dispute arising out of allegedly defective piling works at a major supermarket’s regional distribution centre. The dispute was successfully resolved at a multi-party mediation before commencement of proceedings/arbitration.
