David Niven > Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP
125 WOOD STREET
LONDON
EC2V 7AW
England
David Niven photo

Work Department

Commercial dispute resolution, professional negligence, group actions, collective redress

Position

David is a partner in the commercial dispute resolution group, specialising in high value, multi-party professional negligence actions against solicitors and other professionals. A leading UK lawyer for group actions, including in claims against solicitors for mis-sold properties, he has an established media profile, client following, and reputation for getting results.

David is acting for hundreds of clients in numerous group action claims against solicitors and architects following high-profile unsuccessful off plan property investment schemes with substantial losses.

He has recently acted for over 130 claimants in multi-million-pound proceedings which were the subject of an important application to the Court of Appeal (headed by Master of the Rolls, Vos LJ). The appeal concerns the fundamentally important procedure in this field of law of using a single claim form to encapsulate multiple claims, as disputed by the defendant solicitors/appellant. This matter went to the Court of Appeal where the judge ruled in favour of class action claims in a single claim form.

David’s team has also acted for a group in cutting-edge High Court proceedings involving a £20 million insurance coverage claim against AIG, which settled recently on confidential terms shortly prior to the November trial.

Career

Trained at Allen & Overy, qualifying in 1985. Joined Wedlake Saint in 1996 as a partner, which then merged into Penningtons in 2011. Has specialised in commercial dispute resolution throughout his career.

Languages

English

Memberships

Professional Negligence Lawyers Association
Collective Redress Lawyers Association

Education

King’s College.

Lawyer Rankings

London > Dispute resolution > Group litigation: Claimant

A go-to firm for group professional negligence claims against solicitors, Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP fields extensive court experience, from the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court. David Niven and David O’Brien head the group actions team. Michael Brown is experienced in representing shareholders and investors in group litigation. Charlotte Hill was promoted to partner in April 2023, while Kamran Rehman replaced Clare Arthurs as head of commercial dispute resolution in April 2024. Colin Hayes and Nicole Blakely are names to note, along with Tom Stables.

London > Insurance > Professional negligence

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP stands out for its extensive capabilities in handling large class-action professional negligence cases on behalf of claimants. David Niven is recommended for complex, multi-party claims against solicitors, especially concerning litigation arising out of failed investment schemes. Nicole Blakely is ‘a superb lawyer’ with extensive experience advising on group claims. Peter Stockill and Chris Bates are also noted for their skill with claims in the construction sector. The team is led by Kamran Rehman.

London > Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP is home to ‘great litigators, who are strategically astute, technically strong and commercial’. The sizeable commercial dispute resolution team is widely respected for its expertise in civil fraud, asset tracing and recovery actions. At a cross-border level, the firm continues to experience growth in India and North America-related matters. ‘Highly adept at devising practical commercial solutions to disputes’, Kamran Rehman succeeded Clare Arthurs as team head in April 2024, while Richard Marshall leads the international disputes group. Michael Brown acts in a range of commercial disputes, including financial services-related conflicts, enforcement actions and civil fraud claims. Also key to the department, David O’Brien co-heads the group action and professional negligence teams alongside David NivenCharlotte Hill is an experienced commercial litigator and Rustam Dubash is an India disputes expert. The next line of active practitioners comprises Phillip D’Costa, who leads the firm’s IP and IT disputes team; ‘determined litigant’ and business and finance disputes head Alex Fox; and cross-border fraud and contentious insolvency specialist John Adams. Other names to note are Harriet Vidot, Chris Hoyer Miller, Oliver Cooke, Colin Hayes, Richard Raban-Williams, Valya Georgieva, and Lauren Cormack.