Mr Peter Williams > Fieldfisher > London, England > Lawyer Profile
Fieldfisher Offices
RIVERBANK HOUSE
2 SWAN LANE
LONDON
EC4R 3TT
England
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Mr Peter Williams
Work Department
Asbestos claims and personal injury
Position
Partner, Head of Asbestos Claims
Career
I have 30 years’ experience acting for victims of illnesses and accidents, and particularly for people suffering from the devastating cancer mesothelioma following exposure to asbestos in the workplace and by dust brought into the home.
It is a privilege to meet with so many families, to hear their stories, to be their advocate and provide the financial security needed in times of crisis.
Having dealt with hundreds of claims over the years, there are few types of case I haven’t come across. I also know our opponents well.
Legal 500 2023 describe me as “one of the very best in the field of industrial disease”. I am also recognised as a member of their “Hall of Fame” for Personal Injury lawyers.
Chambers 2022 describe me as “a brilliant lawyer who is prepared to take on complex cases … working hard for clients”.
I lead a team of solicitors at Fieldfisher determined to achieve the highest compensation for people with asbestos disease in the shortest possible time, at no cost. We are described by Chambers as a ‘market-leading industrial disease practice, with an outstanding reputation for handling mesothelioma and asbestos disease litigation.’
My cases include:
- Mesothelioma and asbestos claims
- Personal injury claims
- Work accident claims
- Road traffic accident claims
I regularly settle mesothelioma claims within three months of instruction. I have recently pioneered the recovery of private medical costs for developing immunotherapy treatment.
Over the last 30 years I have been involved in the most important asbestos cases to come before the courts, to include Fairchild v Glenhaven Funeral Services Ltd. (establishing one defendant liable for all damages in mesothelioma claims even where there are other exposers), Bussey v East Anglia (the Court of Appeal confirmed that employers were responsible for low exposures post-1965), Frances v Cape PLC (the first case of its kind against a manufacturer of asbestos products rather than an employer), and more recently in January 2021, Head v Culver Heating Co Ltd. (a mesothelioma case in the Court of Appeal concerning high loss of earnings).
My other personal injury work includes catastrophic and fatal road traffic, work accident, aviation and holiday claims. I acted for the victims of the Kegworth air disaster in the 1990s. I have recently acted for the family of a skier who died on the slopes on a Club Med holiday in France, a cyclist who suffered a catastrophic head injury in an accident and the family of a man who died in an aviation accident in Peru.
I regularly speak at conferences on asbestos disease and fatal accident claims.
I was named Lawyer of the Year 2023 for Personal Injury Litigation, London in the 11th edition of The Best Lawyers in the UK.
Memberships
I am a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL). I also sit on the forum of catastrophic injury solicitors (Focis) a small group of the most prominent catastrophic solicitors in the country. Membership is by invitation only.
Lawyer Rankings
London > Insurance > Personal injury: claimant
(Hall of Fame)Paul McNeil, Jill Greenfield and Peter Williams jointly head up the claimant personal injury offering at Fieldfisher. Williams oversees the industrial disease department, alongside Andrew Morgan, with particular expertise in asbestos claims, including cases of low exposure and adults who were exposed as children; in 2022, the team achieved the first decision against an insurer in a living mesothelioma claim. Jill Greenfield leads the serious injury team, which has extensive expertise regarding international matters, and redress following serious sexual assaults; the firm is experienced in the setting up of funds for victims of sexual assaults in the US. Jennifer Buchanan is described by one client as being ‘at the top of her game’; Keith Barrett has specialist knowledge regarding maritime and aviation claims; and the ‘tenacious, smart and hardworking’ Dushal Mehta is particularly experienced in cases before the Court of Appeal. Director Harvinder Kaur is also recommended for her skill in high-value serious injury cases.
Lawyer Rankings
- Hall of Fame London > Insurance > Personal injury: claimant
- Personal injury: claimant London > Insurance
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Public sector > Administrative and public law
- Insurance > Clinical negligence: claimant
- Risk advisory > Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Franchising
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Film & TV
- Insurance > Personal injury: claimant
Firm Rankings
- Real estate > Construction: contentious
- Finance > Derivatives and structured products
- Employment > Employee share schemes
- Corporate and commercial > Equity capital markets – small-mid cap
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Fintech
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: civil
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Digital content & social
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Media finance
- Dispute resolution > Professional discipline
- Investment fund formation and management > Retail funds
- Dispute resolution > Tax litigation and investigations
- Finance > Trade finance
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: premium
- Real estate > Commercial property: corporate occupiers
- Real estate > Construction: non-contentious
- Private client > Court of protection
- Industry focus > Emerging markets
- Employment > Health and safety
- Public sector > Healthcare
- Investment fund formation and management > Hedge funds
- Industry focus > Hospitality and leisure
- Industry focus > Life sciences and healthcare
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals, £100m-£750m
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Advertising & marketing
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Mining and minerals
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Oil and gas
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > PATMA: Trade mark attorneys
- Employment > Pensions (non-contentious)
- Real estate > Property litigation
- Finance > Securitisation
- Private client > Art and cultural property
- Dispute resolution > Banking litigation: investment and retail
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: contentious
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Employment > Pensions: dispute resolution
- Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Insurance > Professional negligence
- Real estate > Property finance
- Risk advisory > Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates)
- Industry focus > Retail and consumer
- Private client > Charities and not-for-profit
- Real estate > Commercial property: investment
- Corporate and commercial > EU and competition
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: white-collar crime (advice to individuals)
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: patents (contentious and non-contentious)
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Reputation management
- Finance > Corporate restructuring & insolvency
- Employment > Immigration
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport
- Corporate and commercial > Venture capital