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BLM

BROAD QUAY HOUSE, PRINCE STREET, BRISTOL, BS1 4DJ, ENGLAND

Tel:: Work 0117 975 8649
Fax:: Fax 0117 905 8810

Web:: www.blmlaw.com

Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Derry, Dublin and 8 more

Gemma Pearce

Tel:: Work 0117 933 7721
Email:

Profile
Lawyer Rankings

Work Department

Marine/business stream 2.

Position

Gemma qualified as a barrister in 2001, cross-qualifying as a solicitor in 2005. She has extensive legal experience specialising in shipping, marine and non-marine insurance, international trade and in the travel and cruise sectors. Gemma handles all aspects of charter parties, bills of landing, supply and carriage of goods by sea, cargo, passenger and crew claims, with particular emphasis on P&I and FD&D matters; assisting owners, charterers, operators, brokers and insurers in a wide range of jurisdictions. She also advises on personal injury and loss of life cases; medical negligence claims and class actions arising out of illness and disease outbreaks, as well as extensive occupational disease experience. She draws upon her practical experience and real commercial understanding when handling marine casualty work but with particular emphasis on shipping/transport-related personal injury and fatal accident cases including accidents involving cargo ships, passenger ships and port/terminal operations. She also drafts/advises on health and safety procedures, policies and risk management, and trains management and personnel. On the non-marine side, Gemma has worked extensively with a global self-insured chemical company for many years, handling disease claims on their behalf. Gemma also works with a national museum and a local contractor with respect to insurance archaeology and occupational disease claims handling. Significant reported cases: Davis v Stena Line [2005] EWHC 420 (QB). Gemma works with numerous P & I Clubs within the international group, traditional mainstream insurers and bespoke marine specialist insurers and brokers. Additionally Gemma has worked with a large ship owner for 15 years, providing claims handling services to their Ro-Ro fleet.

Career

Trained Eversheds LLP, qualified 2005; New Law, 2010-11; Greenwoods, 2011-14; joined BLM in 2014.

Languages

French, German - intermediate, Spanish - basic.

Member

BMF; Chamber of Shipping.

Education

Caerleon Comprehensive School – GCSEs and A levels; University of Derby, LLB (Hons); University of Cardiff, BVC.

Leisure

Running, cooking and reading.

London: Transport

Travel

Within: Travel

BLM acts for tour operators, travel agents, insurers and excursion companies on complex, serious and catastrophic injury claims, and also handles group and class action cases. It is representing Thomas Cook in a large group a large group action involving allegations of a cryptosporidium outbreak; and the team was also involved in the first prosecution and criminal conviction of claimants who had pursued fundamentally dishonest travel sickness claims. Sandals, Jet2, Regis Mutual, Olympic Holidays, British Airways and Stena Line are clients. Matthew Ford has ‘good judgement’ and leads the leisure and travel casualty team. Leeds-based Arion Jones heads the tour operator liability team. In Bristol, Gemma Pearce is experienced in marine casualty and is noted for personal injury and fatal accident cases involving cargo ships, passenger ships, ports and terminals. Associate Deborah Sayers, who regularly acts for tour operators. Birmingham-based Sarah Hill heads the fraud practice group.

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South West: Transport

Shipping

Within: Shipping

BLM deals with all aspects of marine casualty work with particular emphasis on P&I and freight demurrage and defense matters. Clients include owners, charterers, operators, brokers and insurers from a range of countries. Areas of expertise include personal injury, fatalities, accidents involving cargo ships and passenger ships including personal injury, medical negligence and class actions arising out of illness and disease outbreaks. The firm advises clients on health and safety matters, policy and risk management and also all aspects of of charter parties, bills of lading, supply and carriage of goods. Gemma Pearce heads the team, she focuses on shipping, marine, and non-marine insurance, international trade, travel and cruise sectors. All-round shipping lawyer Stephen Favali specialises in complex recovery actions with cross-border aspects. The firm has recently been working more with main stream insurers trying to break into the shipping sector.