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RPC

TOWER BRIDGE HOUSE, ST KATHARINE'S WAY, LONDON, E1W 1AA, ENGLAND
Tel:
Work 020 3060 6000
Fax:
Fax 020 3060 7000
DX:
600 LONDON CITY
Email:
Web:
www.rpc.co.uk
Bristol, Hong Kong, London, Singapore
RPC, Gavin Reese, London, ENGLAND

Lawyer rankings

Gavin Reese

Tel:
Work 020 3060 6895
Email:
Web:
www.rpc.co.uk/people/gavin-reese
RPC

Work Department

Insurance and reinsurance.

Position

Gavin has been advising the insurance industry for over 25 years and advises regularly on policy coverage. He heads up RPC’s experienced liability team which deals with a broad range of liability and product claims, including stress and catastrophic injury claims often involving periodic payment orders. The product side of his practice includes advice on the Consumer Protection Act 1987, European regulation, and product liability cases including those involving food, machinery, consumer and safety products. He regularly advises companies and individuals facing Health & Safety investigations and prosecutions, often following a major event. He is frequently instructed in connection with sensitive cases involving fatalities, and has significant experience advising on the law relating to Corporate and Gross Negligence Manslaughter as well the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974.

Recent cases include: R v Counsell (successful defence of fireworks operator prosecuted for a health and safety offence following the 2011 M5 crash); R v Enviro-Waste Ltd (prosecution over death of three employees); R v Matthews (successful defence of gross negligence manslaughter charge); Hawley v Luminar Leisure (leading case on temporary deemed employment); representing a well-known high street retailer in connection with investigation concerning asbestos containing materials; successful defence of electrical supplier facing product related fatal accident claims.

Career

Articled Edward Fail Neale & Co/Sharpe Pritchard; qualified 1985; assistant Sharpe Pritchard 1985-88; assistant Reynolds Porter Chamberlain 1988-95; partner: 1995. Publications of note: Contributing author to ‘Insurance for the Construction Industry’ Hogarth OUP 2012.

Member

Association of Regulatory & Disciplinary Lawyers; Health and Safety Lawyers’ Association; UK Environmental Law Association.

Education

Ashford North School, University College, Cardiff (1982 LLB Hons); College of Law, Guildford (1983 LSF).

Leisure

Rugby; football; private pilot’s licence.

London: Human resources

Health and safety

Within: Health and safety

RPC's 'well-established and dedicated department is a first port of call for corporate and insurer clients' and has 'a growing presence in the health and safety arena' thanks to the 'brilliant leadership' of practice co-heads Gavin Reese and Nick McMahon; clients praise Reese as 'clever and tenacious' and single out McMahon as 'highly experienced and easy to work with'. Reese's recent work includes acting for a lift installation company in a HSE and police investigation following the death of an employee who sustained crush injuries and representing United Grab Hire and its director in a HSE prosecution following a fatal accident. McMahon acted for a construction company in an asbestos-related issue and represented a senior hospital manager who was investigated following a patient's suicide. XL Catlin and Faraday are also clients.

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London: Insurance

Personal injury: defendant

Within: Personal injury: defendant

RPC's 'tremendously knowledgeable' team acts for major insurers such as XLCatlin, Faraday, Arch and Hiscox. Gavin Reese heads the personal injury practice and specialises in cases involving catastrophic injury, stress and chronic pain. Fiona Hahlo  ('the personification of calm under pressure') has a strong track record handling high-value catastrophic injury claims and 'the extremely diligent and hardworking' Steven Aitken focuses on fatal injury claims where he is 'always on top of legal issues'. health and safety head Nick McMahon is also recommended.

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Product liability: defendant

Within: Leading individuals

Gavin Reese - RPC

Within: Product liability: defendant

The product liability practice at RPC  is particularly well regarded for its work in the medical and life sciences industries. Practice head Dorothy Flower (‘truly exceptional; unflappable under pressure and a real intellectual heavyweight’) is acting alongside health and safety practice head Nick McMahon  for Cloverleaf Products, a former distributor of PIP breast implants, in relation to a number of Part 20 claims brought by clinics which face action for implanting PIP products. In another key matter, the practice is defending Corin in metal-on-metal hip group litigation that went to trial in October 2017. McMahon is also defending an electrical goods manufacture in a house fire claim. Gavin Reese acts for clients across the consumer goods, food, transport and medical devices sectors.

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Legal Developments by:
RPC

  • Cancelling insurance: insolvency and downgrade clauses

    One of the most common concerns for both parties to an insurance contract (including reinsurance) is that the other party might become insolvent and unable to perform its obligations under the contract. Both insurer and insured will therefore wish to have the right to cancel the insurance mid-term in the event of the other party’s insolvency, or a change in its financial circumstances that makes its insolvency a more likely prospect in the near future.
    - Reynolds Porter Chamberlain LLP

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