Professional Negligence Solicitors Based in London & Brighton
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London 020 7822 4000
Brighton 01273 685 888
Professional Negligence
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Professional Negligence Solicitors Based in London & Brighton

Professional Negligence

Specialist professional negligence solicitors that win over 95% of their clients' claims

If you feel that you have been let down by a professional, you may have a claim against that professional for the loss (financial or otherwise) that you feel you have suffered as a consequence of the poor service provided. Contact our professional negligence solicitors today.

For the last seven years, the practice has been listed in the Legal 500. Practice Head, Robert Johnson, is also recognised as a leading individual in both Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners as are David Bailey and  Jerome O’Sullivan.

“Healys LLP handles claimant work for clients in disputes against a range of professions, including solicitors, valuers, architects, IFAs, construction and financial services professionals. The team is acting for a private individual in a claim against its former solicitors regarding alleged failure to deal with an employment claim, and represented Dreamvar (UK) in a claim against two firms of solicitors concerning a fraudulent property transaction. Dispute resolution head Robert Johnson is ‘bright, commercial and manages to master the detail while at the same time being focused entirely on the commercial aims of the client’. Jerome O’Sullivan is ‘tenacious and a strong negotiator’. David Bailey joined from Shakespeare Martineau LLP in 2016.”
Legal 500 2017

Professional negligence is a specialist topic and not an area of general practice for solicitors. This has the effect of reducing the number of solicitors who are sufficiently aware of the issues involved to enable them to undertake professional negligence work effectively. We have that expertise and that is reflected in the increasing number of professional negligence cases on which we are instructed and the success we achieve in those cases. Indeed, we advise on claims against most professionals including solicitors, barristers, accountants, surveyors, financial advisors, project managers, planning consultants and architects.

This firm Healys LLP is an outstanding law firm. If I have any law issues in the future, I would not hesitate to use them.
Martyn Gould

Our professional negligence solicitors have the necessary levels of experience, expertise and resources to provide advice, assistance and representation to clients who believe that they have a claim against a professional. The key elements of this service are:

  • Quick and efficient review of any potential claim;
  • Clear advice on the merits of any potential claim;
  • Full explanation of the practice and procedures involved in pursuing a claim;
  • Transparency on costs; and
  • Availability of alternative means of funding to include conditional fee agreements.

Contact Our Professional Negligence Solicitors in London and Brighton

Healys professional negligence solicitors have substantial experience and expertise in professional negligence matters. The team includes a member of the Professional Negligence Lawyers’ Association with excellent contacts with leading chambers in this field.

Call Us Today
Call our London office on 020 7822 4000 or our Brighton office on 01273 685 888. You can also contact us online.
Call Us Today
London: 020 7822 4000 Brighton: 01273 685 888 Or you can contact us online: Contact Us
Key Contacts
Robert Johnson
Partner
David Bailey
Partner
Meet the team
Professional Negligence capabilities
Professional Negligence experiences
  • Our client, a property developer was in the process of obtaining a property. The case involved two law firms that acted for the buyer & seller. After the transaction was complete, the client discovered that the seller had committed identity fraud and lost a considerable amount of money. Issues included breach of warranty of authority and breach of trust on the part of the solicitors who acted on behalf of the fraudster; the scope of the duty of care of the firm acting on behalf of our clients and whether the clients’ consequential loss of profit was recoverable at law. Our client decided to contact Jerome O’Sullivan and Healys’ Professional Negligence team in order to make a claim. Solicitors’ legal obligations in such circumstances are unclear and this matter may lead to clarification of the law in this regard. The team, led by Jerome O’Sullivan was able to successfully make a claim against the two firms for £1.5million.
  • Our client divorced with his wife and asked his former solicitors to take on his case. After completing procedures, he realised that the law firm had not protected his interests & assets. His wife dissipated all the assets leaving him very surprised and unsatisfied by the service that they had provided. Our client decided to contact Robert Johnson and Healys’ Professional Negligence team in order to make a claim. Robert Johnson and the Healys Family team acted extremely promptly to guarantee our client a success in his claim. They were able to successfully make a claim in the sum of £50,000 for failure in acting for our client’s best interests.
  • Our client’s claim arose out of the failings of her former solicitors to deal with her divorce. This included the dissipation of assets held by the husband in Hong Kong by way of freezing orders. The claim focused on conflicting evidence between the client and husbands solicitor. After lengthy negotiations with the other side, Robert Johnson was able to secure the client £650,000 in compensation.
  • Our client had a previous claim with another law firm in relation to his property being undervalued when sold. Unfortunately our client received poor advice from the previous law firm which resulted in him loosing the initial claim against the mortgagee and valuer. Robert Johnson was able to successfully make a claim against the previous law firm for loss in opportunity. After lengthy mediation with the other side, Robert was able to secure our client £800,000 in compensation.
  • Our client needed advice regarding an Under-Lease, and so they approached a firm about their issue. However, our client soon realised that the firm had given incorrect advice. He decided to contact Healys in order to make a claim against the law firm for failure to advise properly in relation to the purchase of an under-lease, the terms of that under lease, the status of the head lessee and rental payment terms. The team, led by Robert Johnson was able to successfully make a claim for £150,000 against the firm.
  • Our client decided to make a claim against their former solicitor in respect of the failure to advise properly with regard to rights of appointment of LPA Receivers leading to the adoption of the wrong strategy, appointment of receivers and subsequent losses. The team, led by Robert Johnson was able to successfully make a claim against the firm for £4 million in failing to advise on the risks of the strategy.
  • Our client instructed a firm of solicitors to deal with a claim in regard to his former employer. He was unfortunately unaware that the firm he instructed was in financial difficulty. Subsequently the firm went into liquidation. This lead to the solicitor dealing with the case to be negligent towards our client’s case. The team, led by Robert Johnson was able to successfully make a claim for £200,000 against the firm for failure in treating our clients claim with due care and diligence. Nick Evans, our employment law expert, also took part at the claim. We acted for the client under a CFA and since the case the firm in question has been dissolved.
  • The client’s wife was involved in an RTA which led to a claim on the client’s insurance. The insurer instructed a solicitor in the client’s name to commence proceedings to recover the insurer’s losses from the other party involved in the RTA. The solicitor negligently allowed a judgement in default to be entered on a counterclaim against our client. The client was unaware of the judgement until he applied for a mortgage some 15 months later. As a result our client suffered numerous heads of losses including increased mortgage costs and potential loss of earnings because of his job as a police officer. The case was led by Ben Parr-Ferris who made a claim against the solicitor for negligently allowing the judgement on his wife’s RTA insurance claim. The aim of Ben and his team was to safeguard the client’s career and make sure the judgement does not affect his progression. A number of negotiations were attempt with the insurer in order to revert the decision made by the solicitor as an insurer debt. However, both of them failed. Although the team were able to get assurances from our client’s employer that the judgement should not impact the client career in any way. The solicitor has since accepted liability and Ben Parr-Ferris was able to secure our client £30,000 in compensation.
  • While in the process of buying their new home, our clients contacted Property Survey Company in order to complete the required checks on their potential new property. The Property Survey Company completed all the checks and informed our clients that no defects were found. Unfortunately after purchasing the property our clients noticed a number of defects in the property and after getting a second opinion it was found that the original survey was incorrect. The team was able to successfully make claim against the property surveyor as they failed to provide our clients with the survey they asked for but also they failed to identify certain defects in the property. Robert and the team were able to secure £50,000 in compensation for our clients in an out of court settlement.
  • Our client had a significant property portfolio. She found out that a number of her properties had been sold without her knowledge under her ex-husbands name. The properties in question were equally owned by our client and her ex-husband, so no sale should have taken place without her knowledge. After instructing a number of expert witnesses that included a hand writing expert, it was found that the property was unlawfully sold. With this information, Robert Johnson and the Professional Negligence team at Healys was able to secure £750,000 in compensation after lengthy mediation with the other side.
  • Claim arising as a result of failure to provide appropriate wealth management and pension/investment advice including, a failure to, properly assess (and keep under review) the level of risk the clients were willing and able to take in relation to their money which was to be invested and select investments consistent with their risk category: £2 million.
  • Acting for the Administrators of a short term lender in a conflict of interest situation in a valuer claim. The Defendant alleged that the claim was statute barred putting the acting solicitors into a conflict of interest. Advising on whether the claim was barred and on the settlement offers as they were made which included being on standby during the mediation at which the dispute was resolved: £1.3 million.
  • Claim for recovery of the proceeds of sale of a business fraudulently diverted where an email instruction to their solicitors had been intercepted and replaced with a change of instructions on which the solicitors acted: £180,000.
  • Acting for the trustee of two estates in relation to a claim against a firm of solicitors for advice that the trustees sign a variation to a Nil Rate Band Trust to regularise the inheritance tax position. However this was inappropriate and as such the trustee was in breach of trust. The case also involved s61 of the Trustee Act 1925. On advice the client was able to mitigate the loss in full and is now pursuing costs: £325,000.
  • Acted for a developer company in relation to a claim against solicitors in relation to a failed property transaction for failing to identify and purchase all component parts of a plot for the development to proceed: £1 million.
  • Acting for a company in liquidation against one of the Big 4 accountants for auditor negligence – an exceptional achievement given the difficulty in claims where the director and sole shareholder of a closely held private company deceived the auditors with fraud carried out on all creditors: £6 million.
  • A group claim against a firm of solicitors involving issues of securitisation, mortgage account sales and sale and lease backs: £850,000.
  • A claim against a firm of surveyors and the individual surveyor for their alleged negligent overvaluation of nearly 50 properties: £4,000,000.
  • A solicitor claim for breach of fiduciary duty and negligence. Insurance coverage was reserved pending investigations, which included a criminal trial for fraud of one of the former partners of the Defendant firm: £1.2 million.
  • Pursuing a valuer claim on the primary basis of a ‘no-transaction’ claim because the seven security properties were next to a factory had the valuer correctly reported the location of the property, the lender would not have proceeded with the application. There were issues of limitation and the correct measure of loss and the claim was settled at mediation: £700,000
  • Pursuing a claim against a barrister for breach of duty whilst acting for Mr and Mrs Partridge in a claim against a high street bank in Gibraltar (2011-P-229) arising out of loans made to them and secured on thier property. The barrister was instructed under the direct access scheme and as a result of his negligence the claim was struck out.
Professional Negligence insights
  • When Is Professional Advice Not Professional Advice?

    11th October 2018

    People take professional advice all the time, and rely on it. A professional who gives advice will normally not only have the appropriate qualifications but will also be covered by the firm’s professional indemnity policy, so that if their advice turns out to be negligent, the client can be compensated. Continue reading »

  • Court of Appeal Dismiss Appeal On Harrison Budget Case

    26th September 2017

    A case highlighted back in June was the court of Appeal decision in Harrison v University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trusts [2017] EWCA Civ 792 which confirmed the principles established in the Merrix case regarding the inter-relationship between budgets and detailed assessment. In short… Continue reading »

  • Property Negligence Claims Set To Rise

    A recent report by the IOD and BLM law states that negligence claims against property solicitors are continuing to rise, as the issue of leasehold ground rents comes into public view. These claims have arisen from purchasers of leasehold properties who have sought to recover compensation for ground rent charges, which they claim that they were never informed of. Continue reading »

  • The cost of a late acceptance of Part 36 offers

    13th September 2017

    Perhaps not surprisingly, there have been a plethora of authorities in relation to costs and recoveries and that continues apace.

    In Jordan v MGM Limited [2017] EWHC 1937 (Ch), the claimant was (“rightly”) penalised by the very late acceptance of a Part 36 offer.  The offer had been made over two and half years previously and it was accepted just before trial.  As a consequence, the Claimant was ordered to pay the Defendant’s costs (and on an indemnity basis) from the date of expiry of the relevant period under the Part 36 offer.

    In a similar case of Briggs v CEF Holdings Ltd (2017) CA (Civ Div), the defendant appealed to the Court of Appeal in respect of the first instance district judge’s order on costs. The Court of Appeal overturned the district judge’s ruling and found for the defendant on costs on the Part 36 issue.

    There has been much focus on ensuring that my team manage Part 36 offers properly in order to ensure that they know which ones are open and hence which ones might (depending on developments within the case) need to be withdrawn or increased/decreased.  Of course, the other side of the coin is ensuring that you consider a Part 36 offer that is made by the other party carefully (and then advising the client accordingly) in order to determine whether it should be accepted or, if not, ensuring that the client is fully aware of the possible consequences.  I can easily see how failure to deal with such matters properly could lead to a claim against the solicitor.

    For more information on this topic or any service we offer please contact Robert Johnson on 020 7822 4000 or email robert.johnson@healys.com.

Professional Negligence awards
  • Chambers & Partners 2019 - Band 4 – Professional Negligence – London, Robert Johnson - “Robert Johnson of Healys focuses his practice on acting for clients in claims against solicitors and barristers. A source enthuses: He makes a real effort to be available promptly, whenever the matter has required, with succinct, helpful communications at all times.”
  • Legal 500 2018 - Insurance: Professional Negligence – ranked: Tier 5 (London) - "Healys LLP regularly acts for claimants in cases against solicitors, barristers, architects, surveyors, financial advisers and accountants. Department head Robert Johnson is ‘incisive and attentive, responding instantly to queries with clear answers and explanations’; he is advising two Cayman Islands-based companies in a £25m case against a firm of solicitors and its three individual partners. The ‘brilliant’ Jerome O’Sullivan is the leading advisor for the claimant in a £1.1m dispute against two firms of solicitors in relation to a fraudulent property transaction. David Bailey is experienced in acting for financial institutions in cases against solicitors and valuers and Adrian Taylor, who recently joined from Rosenblatt, is also noted."
  • Chambers & Partners 2018 - Band 4 – Professional Negligence – London, Robert Johnson - “Robert Johnson of Healys is "very thorough and commercially minded," according to sources. He focuses on advising claimants, and assists them with disputes involving a full range of professionals.”
  • Legal 500 2017 - Insurance: Professional Negligence – ranked: Tier 6 (London) - “Healys LLP handles claimant work for clients in disputes against a range of professions, including solicitors, valuers, architects, IFAs, construction and financial services professionals. The team is acting for a private individual in a claim against its former solicitors regarding alleged failure to deal with an employment claim, and represented Dreamvar (UK) in a claim against two firms of solicitors concerning a fraudulent property transaction. Dispute resolution head Robert Johnson is ‘bright, commercial and manages to master the detail while at the same time being focused entirely on the commercial aims of the client’. Jerome O’Sullivan is ‘tenacious and a strong negotiator’. David Bailey joined from Shakespeare Martineau LLP in 2016.”
  • Chambers & Partners 2017 - Band 4 – Professional Negligence – London, Robert Johnson - “Robert Johnson of Healys earns plaudits for his “wealth of experience and strong commercial views.” He is recognised for his experience representing claimants, and his recent activity includes advising on disputes related to property purchases, insurance contract terminations and fund misappropriation claims.”
Professional Negligence news
  • Two Healys Lawyers Ranked As Leaders In Their Fields

    5th November 2018

    Healys is proud to announce that, for the third year running, the legal directory Chambers & Partners has ranked Head of Professional Negligence, Robert Johnson, as a “Leader in the Field”. Newly appointed Corporate partner, Karen Lord, has also been recommended. Continue reading »

  • Healys Autumn Drinks 2018

    After another great year, Healys LLP, a leading law firm, with offices in London and Brighton held an informal Autumn drinks reception to thank many of their long standing clients and supporters. Continue reading »

Call Us Today
London: 020 7822 4000 Brighton: 01273 685 888 Or you can contact us online: Contact Us
Professional negligence