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England - London Bar
2

Insurance and reinsurance

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Crown Office Chambers

More information
Crown Office Chambers is a ‘good all-around set’, particular strength in handling work for clients in the construction and energy sectors. The team’s workload includes business interruption, property damage, employers’ liability, and public liability cases. Andrew Rigney KC is leading a team of 3 counsel for the insurers in the Sky & Mace v Riverstone and other Insurers case, a case arising from damage done to the roof of Sky’s global headquarters, leading to a coverage dispute claim under a construction all risks policy. Elsewhere in chambers, James Medd  is representing AXA Insurance Limited in a case involving a fire at a warehouse; it is alleged that the fire started due to the improper disposal of cloths that were soaked with linseed oil, which eventually self-heated, leading to the fire. Michael Curtis KC has retired.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'The clerks are strong, particularly Steve Purse, who really looks after solicitors and makes sure to deliver the right barrister for them and their client, and the new senior clerk, James Wilkinson.'
  • 'Steve Purse is one of the leading clerks of his generation. Andy Flanagan is one of the best clerks operating at the bar today - incredibly helpful, commercial, likeable, knowledgeable, and simply an all-round star who knows his team and his instructing solicitors inside-out.'
  • 'Clearly top tier for any sort of insurance work.'
  • 'Crown Office is one of the best chambers in my practice area. They have a wide range of barristers available, which is greatly appreciated in circumstances where the area of law is often quite niche. It is very useful to have a range of barristers who can assist on recoveries, liability matters, fraud and complex policy coverage disputes. '
  • 'A very commercially minded top-ranked set which has a wide range of skilled counsel always on top of their game. Excellent counsel in the commercial insurance and reinsurance sector.  The clerks are always helpful and supportive and know their barristers well. '
  • 'Crown Office has an excellent reputation in the market.'

Lawyers

Leading Silks

KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.

1
Ben Quiney KC
Ben knows his subject matter in intimate detail, with a real expertise in W&I insurance. He is excellent at breaking down highly complex matters into easy to follow concepts and a clear strategy. He is also a very effective advocate, adopting a measured and methodical style.'
1
Andrew Rigney KC
‘Andrew has deep knowledge of chestnut construction insurance issues, which means he does not need to be brought up to speed.  It complements his 1st tier construction practice.'
3
Isabel Hitching KC
‘Technically brilliant. Her written advice is clear and straightforward, and she is good with clients. Her advocacy is also impressive, calm and clear.
3
Michael Kent KC
Michael is the most effective appellate barrister ever seen. His diffident style and character complement a complete mastery of the law. He is a collegiate member of a broader legal team and is always a joy to work with.'
3
Daniel Shapiro KC
‘Danny is not only a fantastic legal mind, but he has a deep knowledge of the insurance industry, which allows him to give very high-quality strategy and commercial advice. Although he is a leader in his field, he makes everyone on the team feel important and has a great balance between having strong views and being open-minded to the views of others in the team.'
4
Michael Curtis KC
5
Crispin Winser KC
‘Crispin is the go-to barrister for complex claims, in particular complex coverage claims. His advice is clear, concise, and he cuts through complex issues with ease. His turnaround is swift.'

Leading Juniors

Leading juniors are those with significant experience of key cases, strong market recognition from both peers and clients, and are seen as future candidates for silk.

1
Caroline McColgan
‘Caroline is extremely bright, responsive and has the ability to digest, analyse and form a pragmatic and well-reasoned opinion very quickly. She grapples with the issues and can get to the heart of the dispute with ease.'  
2
James Medd
‘One of the best senior juniors in the property damage arena.  Really great at matters involving complex and technical underlying facts.'
3
Michele De Gregorio
Skilled and highly knowledgeable. Pleasant to deal with and approachable - explains everything clearly, and drafting is impeccable.'
3
Athena Markides
‘Athena is extremely bright, she has an investigative, sharp mind and is able to see through the detail to get to the heart of the matter, particularly brilliant on fraud matters. Responsive and lovely to work with'
3
Andrew Brown
3
Suzanne Chalmers
‘Able to produce fantastic work in double quick time. Brings a different dimension to the work.'
3
Julian Field
Really great on his feet – massively experienced and knows exactly what is needed in a tight spot in court.’  
3
Richard Sage
'Richard is an all-rounder who consistently performs at an extremely high standard. To illustrate by way of example, Richard has been heavily involved in a very hands-on, litigated, complex policy coverage dispute'
3
Carlo Taczalski
‘Carlo is a fantastic advocate and leader in his field.'
4
Joshua Brown
Josh has excellent analytical skills and gives deep thought to legal and strategy issues in the cases he works on. He is not afraid to challenge orthodoxies.’
4
Steven Coles
When it comes to insurance cover advice, there is no one better.  Clear and pragmatic advice is always given.’
4
Ivor Collett
4
John Greenbourne
‘Very user friendly'
4
Michael Harper
Michael is truly a master of his trade. He is extremely thorough in his work and will go the extra mile to secure the result for the client. His advice is meticulous, and his advocacy is superb.'
4
David Myhill

Rising stars

Rising stars at the Bar are defined as barristers between four and eight years’ call who are seen as up-and-coming members of the Bar in their respective practice areas by clients and peers alike. They will already be instructed in high-profile, complex, and high-value contentious and non-contentious matters, working with and opposite more experienced leading counsel.

1
Hamish Fraser
‘Hamish is exceptional for his level. The quality of his advice, written work, and advocacy is well beyond his years. He is a pleasure to work with and not afraid to offer his views even when he is being led by Leading Counsel. He doesn’t have any weaknesses.’