Crown Office Chambers advises on professional negligence cases across a broad range of sectors including legal, insurance, IT and financial services. The set has members involved in the Grenfell Tower civil litigation, Andrew Rigney KC leads the team representing Rydon, the main design and build contractor, in relation to several claims, alongside Michael Harper and Toby Chandler. Ivor Collett acts for the defendant solicitors in Kagbara and others v Leigh Day, a case in which Nigerians who secured damages from Shell in an English court after leaks from an oil pipeline allege that the proceeds of their settlement were mishandled by the solicitors. Carlo Taczalski represents the defendant brokers in CPH Holdings v Generali v Aon UK Limited, a high value claim that centres around the arrangement of appropriate insurance cover. Henk Soede joined from Deka Chambers in 2024.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Profile
Position
Henk maintains a broad practice across Chambers’ areas of work, with a particular focus on construction, professional liability, property damage, product liability, insurance and commercial disputes. He has experience of claims with an international dimension, including those involving jurisdictional or conflict of law issues.
Henk is frequently called on to advise in cases involving novel arguments under the Package Travel etc Regulations 2018. He is currently instructed (led by Sara Prager) in an ongoing representative action (£10m+) brought against several major tour operators under regulations 12 and 13 following the onset of the covid-19 pandemic.
Henk has built up expert knowledge in all private international law matters, including issues relating to jurisdiction, foreign applicable law and the enforcement of foreign judgments. He regularly writes and lectures on these areas.
Henk also acts in contractual disputes between travel business which necessitate detailed understanding of the package travel legislation landscape. He is presently instructed by a major UK tour operator as sole counsel in a high value arbitration concerning the covid-19 pandemic and various indemnity provisions linked to liability under package travel legislation.
Education
- GDL and BPTC, City University.
- BSc. Politics & Philosophy (first class), London School of Economics & Political Science.
Content supplied by Crown Office Chambers
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Clerks are efficient and easy to deal with. Rob Frankish and Lauren Whiston have been particularly helpful.'
- 'Steve Purse is impeccable in terms of both service and relationship ;he knows what we need and ensures that we get it.'
- ''Steve Purse is excellent and always finds a way to find someone when needed.'
- 'The clerking team are excellent - Steve Purse is one of the best in the business and does an unparalleled job in getting us the right team for the case. Joe Shepherd and Lauren Whiston have both been great in supporting Steve in recent years.'
- '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.'
- 'Crown Office Chambers is one of the go to sets for professional indemnity work. Their silks are well respected and they have great depth of juniors.'
- 'Crown Office Chambers is rightly regarded at the top of professional negligence.'
- 'Crown Office is a top-tier construction and professional negligence set.'