Crown Office Chambers features in The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of this year
Crown Office Chambers is delighted that various members of Chambers have been involved in cases featured in this year’s list of Top 20 Cases of 2022, which is published by The Lawyer. The cases are:
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust v Lendlease Construction (Europe) and others
This dispute arises out of a £75m project to construct a new specialist emergency care hospital, the first of its kind, at Cramlington, Northumberland. Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust seeks damages of approximately £100m from the design and build contractor, Lendlease, in respect of alleged defects, including structural and fire-resistance defects. It is alleged that the hospital will need to be decanted into temporary facilities to enable remedial works to take place.
Lendlease has brought additional claims against approximately 10 other parties involved in the design and construction of the hospital, including the architect, Keppie Design, and the roofing subcontractor, Briggs Amasco.
The case is listed for trial in the TCC for 10 weeks from October 2022.
Ben Quiney KC and Michele De Gregorio (instructed by DAC Beachcroft) represent Keppie Design.
Crispin Winser KC (instructed by Clyde & Co) represents Briggs Amasco.
Rowe & ors v Ingenious Media Holdings Ltd & ors
This dispute is a class action of 100s of high net worth individuals arising from a £1.5bn tax management fund. The claims are varied and complex. The Claimants are a number of investors in Ingenious Media’s film/game investment partnerships who are seeking recoveries after allegations of tax avoidance by HMRC and adverse findings in the Tax Tribunals. The action centres on the claim that investors were assured that these partnerships were entirely legitimate trading businesses seeking to make profit through financing films and video games, such as Avatar. Liabilities that have arisen from the decisions of HMRC and the Tribunals are alleged to exceed £500m. The Defendants include tax advisors, accountants and banks. Members acted for one of the intermediary accountants, against whom claims were advanced. Those claims have been resolved prior to the forthcoming trial. Ben Quiney KC, Carlo Taczalski, and Frederick Simpson were instructed.