St John’s Chambers hosts several members with considerable experience in the field of professional negligence claims.”

The Legal 500 2024, Professional Negligence

St John’s Chambers has an experienced team of professional negligence barristers who advise and represent individuals on a wide range of disputes concerning breach of contract and duty.

Professional negligence claims can be complex matters, involving difficult issues about the nature and scope of the professional’s duty of care, and about liability, reliance, causation, loss, contributory negligence, mitigation and limitation.

Our barristers analyse professional negligence claims carefully, in order to be able to provide the best possible advice about prospects and strategy. We understand the importance in professional negligence claims of gaining a thorough understanding of the negligence alleged and the way in which it is said to have caused the client to suffer loss. If a claim is strong, our barristers will say so, but will likewise advise if a claim is weak or uncertain. We appreciate that it is critically important for clients to be given a thorough, accurate and realistic appraisal of their prospects, so that they can make properly informed decisions about how to proceed.

Our team has barristers across the spectrum of seniority so that we can select a barrister with the right level of seniority for any claim. Some members of the team are professional negligence specialists who are experienced in claims against a wide range of professionals in many differing factual situations.

Our barristers are also experienced in claims relating to their particular practice areas which include:

We advise numerous professionals, including:

  • Solicitors
  • Barristers
  • Medical professionals
  • Accountants
  • Architects
  • Engineers
  • Estate agents
  • Financial advisers
  • Surveyors and other professionals

Our friendly and professional clerks can assist in directing a client to the barrister with the most appropriate expertise.

Mediation

Professional negligence claims often go to mediation. Our team is experienced in acting for and advising clients in relation to mediations. We also have a number of qualified mediators. Our facilities are specifically designed to meet with clients’ needs for a mediation venue. Read more.

Training

Our team regularly delivers lectures to solicitors and other professionals on recent developments in the law and practice of professional negligence. If you are interested in arranging a bespoke seminar please contact Robert Bocock, Practice Manager.

Professional Negligence Team

Christopher Sharp QC

Christopher Sharp KC

  • Call: 1975
  • Silk: 1999

One of the leading family and personal injury Silks, Christopher’s practice encompasses both claimant and defendant work. He is instructed in relation to professional negligence claims involving solicitors arising primarily from cohabitant disputes including ToLATA, trusts and estates,...

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alex-troup

Alex Troup KC

  • Call: 1998
  • Silk: 2023

Alex is ranked as the only star individual on the Western Circuit in chancery matters by Chambers UK. He has a thriving chancery practice which includes professional negligence cases relating to his specialist areas of practice, typically involving...

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Suzanne Ornsby KC

  • Call: 1986
  • Silk: 2012

Suzanne has advised both insurers and individuals on numerous occasions on professional negligence on planning matters the majority of which settle prior to court action. However she did appear for the successful party in Motorcrown Petroleum Ltd one...

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Richard Stead

  • Call: 1979

One of Chambers’ most senior barristers, Richard has considerable experience in professional negligence cases in the construction industry. Richard acts for claimants, defendants and their insurers and has strong expertise in negligence claims against: Architects Engineers Quantity and...

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John Sharples

John Sharples

  • Call: 1992

John is a very experienced adviser and advocate and has practised in the area of professional negligence for over 25 years. He is ranked in Band 1 for both real estate litigation and chancery in Chambers UK and...

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James Pearce Smith

James Pearce-Smith

  • Call: 2002

James has particular expertise in professional negligence disputes.  He specialised in professional negligence claims as a solicitor, and has continued to do so as a barrister. He generally acts for claimants, but is also instructed from time to time...

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John Dickinson

John Dickinson

  • Call: 1995

John is a barrister advising on professional negligence claims in relation to banking, accountancy and fraud sectors, as well as company and commercial, real estate and wills and trusts matters. His practice includes professional negligence claims acting both...

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Matthew White

Matthew White

  • Call: 1997

Matthew deals with professional negligence claims arising out of the areas of law covered in his usual practice, particularly solicitor’s negligence in personal injury claims. Historically, Matthew undertook construction/building dispute work and he continues to deal with architect/surveyor’s...

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Julian Horne

Julian Horne

  • Call: 1998

Julian has advised in a variety of cases regarding the alleged professional negligence of solicitors, barristers and experts in the personal injury context.

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Justin Valentine

  • Call: 1999

Justin conducts cases for both claimant and defendant in relation to allegations of professional negligence against solicitors arising out of the conduct of previous personal injury and clinical negligence work.

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Zoë Saunders

  • Call: 2003

Zoe is usually instructed in relation to professional negligence claims involving solicitors arising primarily from cohabitant disputes including ToLATA, trusts and estates, divorce, financial remedies and general matrimonial work.

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Christopher Jones

Christopher Jones

  • Call: 2004

Christopher acts for businesses and individuals in claims concerning all aspects of professional negligence related to his areas of expertise. He has a particular interest in bringing and defending claims against solicitors (litigation, conveyancing, wills and tax planning),...

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Michael Clarke

Michael Clarke

  • Call: 2009

Michael undertakes professional negligence instructions for both claimants and defendants in a wide range of practice areas including representation at mediations. Michael’s recent experience includes: Representing a claimant in respect of a negligent coveyancing transactions. Representing a claimant...

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Oliver Wooding

Oliver Wooding

  • Call: 2009

Oliver acts for claimants and defendants in professional negligence matters involving solicitors, architects, builders, and surveyors. He has particular experience of negligence claims involving wills and trusts, including disappointed beneficiary claims.

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Natasha Dzameh

Natasha Dzameh

  • Call: 2010

Natasha has a wealth of experience representing claimants and defendants in this field. Her practice concerns the professional liability of agents, brokers, legal professionals (solicitors and barristers), construction professionals (architects, surveyors etc.), engineers, executors, financial professionals, trust companies,...

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Charlie Newington Bridges

Charlie Newington-Bridges

  • Call: 2011

Charlie acts in professional negligence claims involving architects, builders and surveyors. Recent work includes: Acting in multi-million pound professional negligence claim against a national tax advisory business in relation to the re-patriation and re-basing of offshore assets by...

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Adam Boyle

  • Call: 2012

Adam’s experience of professional negligence cases focuses in the main on solicitors’ negligence, in relation to which he is happy to advise, draft pleadings and/or represent parties at trial. In addition, he will also consider accepting cases relating...

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Joss Knight

  • Call: 2014

Joss has acted in a wide variety of professional negligence disputes including claims against solicitors, architects, builders, contract administrators, approved inspectors, valuers, and surveyors. His current solicitors’ negligence caseload includes: Acting for the claimant in a seven-figure claim...

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Annie Sampson

Annie Sampson

  • Call: 2015

Having undertaken a secondment focussed entirely on professional negligence at RPC, Annie has extensive experience of acting in professional negligence claims arising in a wide variety of contexts, including claims against local authorities; claims involving construction professionals; and...

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Jack Pankhurst

  • Call: 2021

Jack joined Chambers in April 2022 following the successful completion of his specialist commercial and chancery pupillage. He accepts instructions in all of the main areas of commercial and chancery law. Jack’s pupil supervisors were Nick Pointon, Charlie...

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Tim Higginson

  • Call: 1977

Tim has built up an extensive practice over a number of years, the main areas of which concern disputes in these areas: Commercial and Chancery Civil Fraud and Asset Tracing Professional Negligence (principally, solicitors, barristers, auditors/accountants and bankers)...

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Guy Adams

Guy Adams

  • Call: 1989

Guy has extensive experience of acting in professional negligence matters, but in particular in relation to solicitors and financial advisers. He has extensive appellate experience and his Court of Appeal appearances in professional negligence matters include Joyce v...

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George Rowell

  • Call: 2004

George is a commercial barrister specialising in tax disputes, professional negligence and insolvency. Although he has experience across the range of professional negligence work, he has a particular interest in tax-related professional negligence claims. As he understands the tax law...

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Directory Quotes

St John’s Chambers is a highly reputable set acting for individuals, solicitors, banks and many others in professional negligence actions.”

Chambers UK 2024, Professional Negligence

St John’s Chambers houses a team which is regularly instructed in cases involving claims against surveyors and solicitors, and is especially strong in handling work brought against architects.”

Legal 500 2023, Professional Negligence

St John’s Chambers is a highly reputable set acting for individuals, solicitors, banks and many others in professional negligence actions.”

Chambers UK 2023, Professional Negligence

The clerks are friendly and professional.”

Chambers UK 2022, Professional Negligence (Client Service)

St John’s Chambers is a highly reputable set acting for individuals, solicitors, banks and many others in professional negligence actions. ‘They have great strength in depth.’ “

Chambers UK 2022, Professional Negligence

The work was difficult and complex, but the variety of people they had on the case was good, and their clerking is very efficient.”

Chambers UK 2021, Professional Negligence (Client Service)

With ‘good strength in depth’, St John’s Chambers has an impressive team acting in professional negligence cases.”

Legal 500 2021, Professional Negligence

Highly reputable set acting for individuals, banks and many others. The lawyers represent clients in claims relating to the conduct of litigation, probate, conveyancing and financial advice. The set can also field strong expertise in actions against valuers and architects.”

Chambers UK 2021, Professional Negligence

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