Professional Negligence
Colleen has experience of acting on behalf of both claimants and defendants in relation to professional negligence claims, including matters involving accountants and financial professionals, construction professionals, insurance brokers and agents, solicitors, and medical professionals.
Her recent work in this area includes:
Accountants and Financial Professionals
- Settling the Defence to a High Court claim against the promoter of a tax mitigation scheme in relation to alleged failures to give adequate warnings as to the risks of the scheme being challenged by HMRC (during pupillage).
Construction Professionals
- Settling the Reply to Counterclaim in a case in which she represented a firm of architects accused of breach of contract and professional negligence in relation to alleged failures to properly submit a planning application prior to the implementation of legislative changes which would increase costs for their client.
Insurance Brokers and Agents
- Settling the Defence (led by Carlo Taczalski) for a broker who issued surety bonds for construction projects on behalf of an insurance company. Allegations against the broker include issuing bonds without the insurer’s authority, without carrying out prior due diligence, and without securing sufficient collateral., as well as failing to manage the relevant bonds or calls on the bonds. Losses are pleaded at approx. €30 million.
- Being instructed as part of a team of juniors to assist with a document review in an insurance case arising out of fraudulent “placement” of a (non-existent) reinsurance policy by a sub-broker, with damages in the region of £15 million. During pupillage, Colleen had drafted a skeleton on behalf of the Claimant for the CMC in this matter which addressed, amongst other issues, the appropriateness of a split trial.
Solicitors
- Preparing the Letter of Response on behalf of and advising a firm of solicitors whose client, a real estate company, alleged a failure by the solicitors to advise it to bring a Part 20 claim against its managing agent when it faced (and ultimately settled) a six-figure claim for breach of a repairing covenant. Issues included whether the client had failed to mitigate its loss in failing to recover the entirety of the sums to which it says it was entitled by way of the Civil Liability (Contribution) Act 1978.
- Preparing the Letter of Response on behalf of and advising a firm of solicitors in relation to a claim arising out of an alleged loss of chance to purchase open land from a local council due to an alleged failure to advise on the time limit for issuing judicial review proceedings.
- Preparing the Letter of Response on behalf of a firm of solicitors alleged to have mismanaged a claim for personal injuries, specifically by failing to prepare and file witness evidence in line with the Court’s directions, resulting in the defendant obtaining strike out of the claim.
- Settling the Reply and Defence to Counterclaim on behalf of a firm of solicitors accused of providing negligent advice which led to a breach of bail conditions and further acting negligently in the course of custody proceedings, specifically failing to properly instruct Counsel, altering witness statements without the Claimant’s knowledge, and making inappropriate comments in open court.
- Settling the Defence on behalf of a firm of solicitors accused of failing to adequately advise their clients about rights of way during the conveyancing of a property under a retainer agreement, allegedly leading to a dispute between the clients and their neighbour.
- Settling the Reply and Defence to Counterclaim on behalf of a firm of solicitors accused to have provided negligent advice and representation in relation to divorce proceedings.
For Colleen’s recent work in relation to claims against medical professionals, see the Clinical Negligence section of her Chambers profile.
Colleen is a member of the Professional Negligence Bar Association.
Selected Cases
View full profile »Awards
- Inner Temple Pegasus Scholarship
- Inner Temple Duke of Edinburgh Entrance Award
- Inner Temple Major Scholarship
- Inner Temple Exhibition Scholarship
- Dean’s Award for Best Academic Performance in MA Law (Conversion)
- Various Finals Collections Prizes from Oriel College, University of Oxford
- Winner of Multiple Moots / Mock Trials incl. the Aqeel H. Noorali Moot Cup
News
- Members of Crown Office Chambers recognised for their Pro Bono work
- Crown Office Chambers welcomes two new tenants
Events
Blogs
Qualifications
- BA French and German (First Class), University of Oxford
- MA Law (Conversion) (Distinction), University of Law
- LLM Master of Laws (Distinction), University of Law
Memberships
- Commercial Bar Association (COMBAR)
- Technology and Construction Bar Association (TECBAR)
- The Society of Construction Law (SCL)
- Professional Negligence Bar Association (PNBA)
- London Common Law & Commercial Bar Association (LCLCBA)
- Young International Arbitration Group (YIAG)
- Personal Injury Bar Association (PIBA)
