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Carlo Taczalski

Call 2010

“An excellent advocate – a real fighter.”
(Legal 500, 2024)

Professional Liability

Carlo has been recommended as a Leading Individual in the Legal 500 in this area since 2017 and is frequently instructed in professional negligence claims involving the full spectrum of professionals, including lawyers, liquidators, accountants, architects / engineers / design consultants, valuers and brokers. He is regularly instructed on his own or as a leading junior against KCs, and likewise as a part of a larger counsel team.

He has recently conducted a (resoundingly successful) adjudication under the pilot professional negligence adjudication scheme.

Carlo is also a PNBA accredited adjudicator.

Selected Cases

  • Representing an international firm of insurance brokers in relation to alleged negligence leading to an alleged inability by an international group of companies to recover in approximately €400M of Covid-related business interruption losses.
  • Ingenious Litigation – Instructed, with Ben Quiney KC and Frederick Simpson, for one of the lead Defendants in the Ingenious Litigation.  The litigation concerned the alleged fraudulent and negligent mis-selling of investments in a series of film and game finance schemes.  The Claimants totalled over 600 and brought claims for in excess of £200m.  The case was named as one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 cases of 2018. Carlo and Ben were successful in applying for security for costs from a commercial litigation funder funding a number of the Claimants’ claims.  Carlo later led Frederick Simpson in the Court of Appeal in relation to the conditions to be attached to that security.  The overall claim settled shortly before trial.
  • Broker’s negligence – Sole counsel for the claimant insurance company in a broker’s negligence claim arising out of the fraudulent ‘placement’ of a (non-existent) reinsurance policy by a sub-broker.  Damages are in the region of £15m. Currently pre-action.
  • Broker’s negligence – Sole counsel defending a broker in relation to allegations of fraud and breach of fiduciary duty in the context of amending policy documents without the insured’s consent, and allegedly falsifying documents to induce a renewal.
  • Saunders & Craig v Hunt – Carlo is instructed as sole counsel (against a KC and senior junior) for a liquidator, Stephen Hunt, to defend a section 212 application brought against him by the successful opposing parties from previous litigation.
  • Surveyor’s negligence – leading Toby Chandler in a claim against a surveyor who failed to identify relevant asbestos in a full pre-purchase survey of a substantial property causing significant loss (pre-action).
  • Architect’s dispute with Oxbridge College – Together with Ben Quiney KC, Carlo successfully defended an architect’s practice in a £9M adjudication brought by an Oxbridge College in relation to the renovation of one of its main listed courts.
  • Loss adjuster’s negligence – Carlo is instructed as sole counsel by a leading loss adjuster who is accused of having negligently caused insurers loss in the region of £5m in the course of adjusting a complex loss arising out of a hurricane.
  • Kinde & Knight v Dellapina & Diaz – Instructed for a Spanish lawyer said to have negligently advised on and conducted an arbitration in the US, in a claim in the English Courts pleaded at $26 million. In addition to the more usual issues concerning scope and breach of duty, and causation of damage, the case raises questions involving the illegality and public policy defence.
  • Harris & Trotter v Bazargan – Instructed, with Ben Quiney KC, for accountants who (when suing for their fees) have been met with an allegedly significant claim for damages relating to a series of HMRC enquiries / COP9 / fraud investigations which they managed for their clients.
  • A v B – instructed for a broker against a leading law firm in a matter recently settled on confidential terms. The brokers had designed a new insurance product, the structure of which had been the subject of negligent advice from the law firm in question.
  • Birdi & Senna v McAndrew – allegedly valuable claim against a valuer and auctioneer by two parties, one of whom was bankrupt and one of whom was alleged to have some interest in property apparently forming part of the other’s bankruptcy estate. Carlo succeeded in having the claim by both claimants against his client struck out by Newey J at the conclusion of pleadings (it continues between one of the claimants and another defendant).
  • Jones v Kaney [2011] UKSC 13; [2011] 2 WLR 823 – During pupillage, Carlo assisted Roger ter Haar KC and Daniel Shapiro in the preparation and research for the landmark appeal to the Supreme Court.
View full profile »

Recommendations


“Carlo is an excellent barrister. He has is bright, hardworking, and a good strategist.”…”Carlo is very commercial, but not scared to get into the detail and provide robust advice on the merits too. He is a top class barrister.”

Legal 500, 2025

“Carlo is able to distil from mountains of information the key issues and formulate appropriate strategies. His advice is thorough and clear, his written submissions are compelling, and on his feet, he outperforms counsel many years his senior.”

Legal 500, 2025

“Carlo is an excellent advocate – a real fighter. He is very tenacious and not afraid to pursue difficult points. He is able to persuade courts very effectively. His written advocacy is also of a very high standard.”

Legal 500, 2024

“Carlo’s enthusiasm and eye for detail are exceptional and he adopts a common sense approach to strategy which is a significant benefit to both us and our clients.”…”Carlo is superb – extremely bright, a great lawyer and immensely hard-working. An outstanding junior.”

Legal 500, 2024

“Carlo knows his craft extremely well. A very able draftsman and able to turn a phrase in court. His advocacy is fluent and persuasive.”

Legal 500, 2024

“Technically very able and quick thinking, able to communicate very effectively, and provides solid advice on strategy and the merits.”

Legal 500, 2022

“An astute and confident advocate who is very robust in his analysis. He is attentive and has a real eye for detail.”

Legal 500, 2022

“A great blend of being exceptionally bright, hardworking and responsive together with a charming personality. Engenders confidence of clients both in conference and courtroom. More than a match for experienced counsel both in mainstream professional indemnity work and more specialist.”

Legal 500, 2021

“Carlo is incredibly forensic in his approach to work, he deals with large quantities of information in a methodical manner and is an excellent communicator.”

Legal 500, 2021

“Handles a diverse range of construction disputes.”

Legal 500, 2020

“He is very bright and thorough when it comes to considering all the possible issues.”

Legal 500, 2020


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