The Legal 500 > United Kingdom - Solicitors > London > Insurance and reinsurance litigation

‘Knowledgeable streamlined teams that means there is little duplication and fast work product turn around.’

‘Emma Ager is a the leader in the industry on a global basis in the Bermuda Form. Knowledgeable and experienced. Top of the class.’

‘Excellent technical knowledge and commercial awareness.’

‘Leon Taylor is an expert in the field.’

‘Andrew Symons – very experienced, has to ability to take the heat out of things.’

‘Very strong knowledge of clients and how they operate. Strong associates.’

‘Rebecca Hopkirk – strong knowledge of market and various jurisdictions.’

‘Simply the ability to communicate simply, quickly and effectively and not engage in verbiage.’

‘HFW has an extremely smart and considerate team that places its clients needs first, ahead of a focus on the billable hour and with a sharp focus on providing the best advice and work product. HFW is very knowledgeable and experienced in insurance and reinsurance, and we view them as our go-to firm in the UK and also try to partner with them elsewhere around the globe. They have a great team with great people.’

‘Chris Foster is another top notch litigator. They are a talented group.’

‘This is a serious insurance firm – my go to for real “market” issues that require in-depth insurance market knowledge and expertise.’

‘Chris Foster’s laser focus on the legal issues makes him a stand out black letter lawyer. His memory for case law is unnervingly precise.’

‘Daniel Martin provides user friendly and excellent value for money advice on sanctions issues.’

‘The person with whom I am working and have worked for many years is partner Christopher Cardona. He is an excellent attorney, very experienced and knowledgeable in handling complicated cross border insurance cases.’

‘The members of the team come from a broader variety of professional backgrounds which provides a greater depth to the perspective they can give performing advocacy roles. Whether this is because of their relative size or a personnel trait, they are never afraid to continually re-evaluate the initial assumptions made in the light of fresh discovery.’

‘I’ve worked with Leigh Williams for many years. He’s a fighter when fighting is necessary and not averse to a “healthy discussion” with instructing principals. One of his better qualities though is that he is secure enough in himself to let the associates do the talking. Gary Walkling for me is a stand out offering because his background in broking meaning he’s seen the other side of the fence. From his demeanour he is very approachable and knowledgeable which makes him a “go to” interface for the current generation of claims handlers. In my opinion his recent elevation to the partnership was overdue.’

‘RPC’s relatively young Partnership bring a fresh perspective to issues that have long been faced by the Insured market. There is a trust from senior leadership that allows Associates to progress through the firm with the confidence that comes with the support from above.’

‘Their attention to detail, but ultimate understanding that whilst legal issues remain at play, there is a commercial relationship between Insurer and Client that prevails in most cases. Legal advice is sought for an important purpose, and a lot of the time it is to assist with getting other market players on board with your thought process and to back that up with sufficient legal commentary. Especially true of Toby Savage, Hugh Thomas and Gary Walkling.’

‘The team at RPC are exceptional when compared with their peers. They are also available to discuss key issues and will, at very short notice, provide education and training on any number of subjects, even during lock down. This is something that others simple do not offer.’

‘Simon Goldring – an expert in this field. Contactable, approachable, fair and will explain things in an articulate manner.’

‘They are true experts with long-standing and extensive experience of advising on and litigating insurance claims,’

‘Ross Baker (Partner) knows insurance law and practice inside-out, has excellent judgement, and is commercial and user-friendly – the complete package.’

‘BLM’s insurance practice has real strength in major coverage litigation, especially related to property and commercial liability insurance, in which areas it is market-leading. It is particularly impressive how the team will become involved in a coverage dispute from an early stage and will follow avenues of inquiry exhaustively, working closely with insurers.’

‘John O’Shea (partner) is an expert in high-value coverage disputes and has exceptional judgement. Mark Aitken (partner) is a formidable litigator and terrier-like in pursuing investigations for insurers. Hanna Platt (associate) is a rising star, with skills and experience well beyond her years. She is a fine lawyer.’

‘Ross Baker: superb tactician and strategist; Ross gets to grips with issues very quickly and distils the key points down to their essence. Always keeps an eye on the client’s commercial aims and objectives.’

‘Sensible and solid advice drawing from deep experience and understanding of the field.’

‘Mark Aitken, Partner and one of the best fraud lawyers in the UK. Very engaging, tough and resilient when he needs to be, and results driven.’

‘I would like to recommend Helen Tilley, who has had career-long experience working at the highest level in life, critical illness and income protection insurance, with a formidable reputation in this very specialised insurance field.’

‘They are a very experienced team, where you can be assured that one of the partners will bring their considerable skill and experience to work on your case.’

‘Stephen Carter knows everything there is to know about insurance and reinsurance.’

‘Highly experienced team who are always willing to look at claims with an open mind and to stick to budgets agreed upfront. They leave no stone unturned when it comes to maximising claims.’

‘Everyone I have worked with at the firm is attentive to the need of the client and they are super responsive. Top quality legal brains with very reasonable charge out rates.’

‘Cooley’s insurance practice provides detailed and technical advice across all areas of insurance law. The quality of advice provided is outstanding, particularly when advising on extremely technical and complex issues across different jurisdictions.’

‘Mark Everiss always puts his client’s needs first and goes all out to provide a first class service, which stands out against other firms. Mark’s approach is very technical, but his advice is always crystal clear and practical.’

‘Eversheds’ practice in this area is small, so you really get to know the team and build a relationship. Their lawyers are down to earth as well as being capable – the type of people you can enjoy going for a drink with once they’ve handled your case. That shouldn’t be underestimated as a value add.’

‘Simon Brooks is a no-nonsense lawyer who gives pragmatic and sound advice.’

‘Naz Gauri is a stand out associate – capable, commercial and, importantly, doesn’t over bill for the work undertaken.’

‘Very pragmatic approach, solution oriented.’

‘I work with Will Glassey and Tom Ataii – both excellent at dealing with complex legal and policy issues.’

‘NRF have leading insurance and disputes experts with Michelle George and Adrian Mecz. Michelle and Adrian have an outstanding grasp of insurance and reinsurance law and how it is best deployed to effectively resolve matters.’

‘The breadth of experience within the team is very useful to my business. It ensures that time and costs are not wasted tilting at windmills and we focus on resolving the real issues.’

‘I have worked predominantly with Adrian Mecz in the London team. Adrian is the Father of the House as far as London Insurance lawyers go. His dual qualifications and experience means that he is a very safe pair of hands for highly contentious claims.’

‘I have been very impressed with the team at Browne Jacobson – they have good work, sound judgement and are efficient.’

‘Jonathan Newbold – has very sound judgement and is technically excellent.’

‘A very close knit insurance focused team with top notch skills across the full gamut from coverage through regulatory to corporate. You get as good if not better than a magic circle service.’

‘Jonathan Newbold – one of the finest insurance minds and with a rare ability to sense the key big picture issues from a regulatory perspective early on.’

‘Colin Peck is a standout in international construction/energy risks. He attracts major global clients and handles really high quality international work. He is a very assured performer at the top of his game.’

‘Francis Mackie – terrific service and sound advice. Terrific client advocate.’

‘Browne Jacobson are an extremely polished and professional firm. They present themselves impeccably and their capabilities are admirable. The individuals working for the firm are extremely respectable and clearly immensely knowledgeable. Overall, they exude trust.’

‘We work with Colin Peck who consistently provides us with swift, accurate, all-encompassing advice which is entirely appropriate and it is delivered in such a way that it is user friendly. We respect his opinion immensely and his recommendations on strategy are without doubt invaluable. He carries out his work with an energy which is admirable. He has an extraordinary ability to foresee potential consequences of our actions / inactions and advise us of the path to take accordingly.’

‘Enormously helpful and experienced team who are capable of fully getting to grips with the most complex of issues.’

‘Nick Atkins is someone you can trust to give knowledgeable and wise guidance.’

‘Nick Atkins – deep experience and knowledge. A thinker who inspires confidence and a long track record of successful management of complex insurance issues. Jamie Rogers – Great expertise on sanctions and export control issues as well as regulatory issues.’

‘A very strong professional group who know their subject matter and the applicable law. They tell you how it is , in clear direct terms.’

‘Always approachable , never afraid to tell you the truth, they will not try and make a case out of something if they don’t believe in it.’

‘Great attention to detail, personal contact & commercial overview.’

‘They really go the extra mile for their clients. Utterly committed to the cause in heavyweight commercial litigation.’

‘Joe O’Keeffe – undoubtedly the most knowledgeable lawyer operating in the marine insurance market in London. At the very height of his powers.’

‘Alex Davis – a real street fighter you would not want to cross in litigation.’

‘Richard Hugg – a guaranteed star of the future. He has worked on all the big marine insurance cases, knows the law and has a great manner with the clients.’

”The group stands out for its approachability and level of knowledge.’

‘Michael Mitchell is a senior partner but is always available and has the knack of making complex legal matter easy to understand for his clients.’

‘Jane Harte-Lovelace offered relevant and suitable advice and had an appropriate understanding of the insurance industry and the subject matter.’

‘James Crabtree is an outstanding business orientated lawyer, very structured, always on the top of the case.’

‘Excellent customer service and outstanding expertise. Whilst a large firm they manage to keep the personal touch.’

‘Always there to support, updated with the developments, deep knowledge of their subject, experienced.’

‘You can bank on very thourough, precise and reliable advice in a simple to understand style that clients can understand and base important decisions on. A quality not easy to come by.’

‘Hermes Marangos lives his cases. He is very committed, delves into the very fine details of his work and understands the important issues that are so crucial as well as if not better than his client. He makes clients feel he is in full charge and that they are in safe hands. When working with foreign lawyers he makes one feel very comfortable and an important part of the team.’

‘Signature Litigation is a really strong litigation boutique, and a capability in insurance litigation is just one of many focuses.’

‘Hermes Marangos stands out for the international breadth of his insurance disputes practice. He has lots of experience advising the market, but now uses that experience to work exclusively for policyholders.’

‘Only deal with Hermes Marangos, who I find is particular enthusiastic about his work. He is helpful and always knows what is happening on the file.’