Professional Liability
Recommended in Chambers UK
Crispin has particular expertise in claims against construction professionals and also has experience of claims against financial services, insurance and legal professionals.
Selected Cases
- Leading a team of six counsel in a $multi-billion ad hoc international arbitration concerning claims and counterclaims under a consultancy services agreement for the provision of design, contract administration and supervision services in respect of a major multi-package infrastructure project. Middle Eastern seat and substantive law of the Middle Eastern state. 45 days of evidential hearings. Complex issues of fact, liability and quantification. 56 factual witnesses and expert evidence in 29 different disciplines.
- Successfully defending adjudications brought against quantity surveyors (for allegedly negligent preparation of bills of quantities) and architects (for allegedly negligent performance of the role of designer and lead consultant).
- Williams Tarr Construction v Roylance [2018] EWHC 2339 (TCC); [2018] CILL 4211 – successfully defending a civil engineer in a 5 day TCC trial concerning alleged negligence in the design of a retaining wall.
- Barnaby v Raleys Solicitors [2014] EWCA Civ 686; [2014] All ER (D) 42 (Jun) – acting (both at first instance and in the Court of Appeal) in a successful claim against solicitors for under-settlement of the underlying claim.
- Successfully defending consulting engineers facing a £7m claim for alleged negligence in the design of the mechanical and electrical fit-out of flagship retail units.
- Acting for corporate Approved Inspectors alleged to have owed a duty of care to the owner of the property they inspected for building control purposes.
- Acting for insurers in the Mercantile Court in relation to the disputed avoidance of a property policy for misrepresentation and breach of warranty and the alleged negligence of the brokers.
- Acting for solicitors alleged to have been negligent in the implementation of a tax scheme.
- Sweett (UK) (formerly Cyril Sweett) v Michael Wight Homes [2012] EW Misc 3 (CC) – representing quantity surveyors alleged to have been negligent in relation to the non-provision of a performance bond.
- Acting for architects facing a £0.5m claim for allegedly negligent design of a residential care home.
- Liberty Syndicate Management v Campagna [2011] EWHC 209 (TCC); 27 Const LJ 275 – acting for technical auditors facing a multi-million Euro claim from the underwriters of a latent defects insurance scheme for failing to detect defects during the construction of houses across Ireland.
- Acting for homeowners in a claim against a surveyor in relation to a negligent building survey.
- Claim against architects for negligent design leading to failure of acoustic tests under the Building Regulations.
Events
- Dubai Arbitration Week, 14-18 November 2022
- David Sears QC and Crispin Winser to speak to the Society of Construction Law
News
- Crown Office Chambers features in The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of this year
- Roger ter Haar QC, Andrew Rigney QC and Crispin Winser QC ranked in the Legal 500 EMEA 2021 Edition
Articles
- An Exercise in Utility: Liquidators Adjudicating Construction Disputes
- “When Insolvency Trumps Rough Justice: Injunctions and Stays of Execution of Adjudication Proceedings”, The Society of Construction Law
Qualifications
- Registered practitioner in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC)
- Major Scholar, Inner Temple
- MSc Construction Law & Dispute Resolution, King’s College London
- Dip Law, City University
- BA, Bristol University
Memberships
- British Japanese Law Association
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb)
- Commercial Bar Association
- LCIA European Users Council
- London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association
- Society of Construction Law (UK & Gulf)
- Technology & Construction Bar Association
Rankings
- Legal 500 2023 London Bar: recommended for Construction, Energy and International Arbitration
- Legal 500 2022 Middle East: the English Bar: recommended for Construction
- Chambers UK 2023: recommended for Construction, International Arbitration: Construction/Engineering and Professional Negligence: Technology & Construction
- Chambers Global 2022: recommended for Construction
- Who’s Who Legal 2022: national leader and future leader for Construction
Recommendations
“He’s just always composed, really, really smart and very measured. He delivers beautiful advocacy which is a pleasure to listen to.” … “Crispin is an excellent and approachable leader.” … “Crispin raises the game because he will think of every possible argument, which makes him a challenging opponent.” … “His written work is extremely good and he has shown himself to be a very adept advocate.”
Chambers & Partners, 2023
“He is extremely intelligent, quick and efficient, and his advocacy style is calm, measured but forceful when necessary.” … “Crispin is excellent” … “Crispin is an extremely bright barrister who solicitors would highly recommend in international arbitration. He is able to process and distill large volumes of information which he is able to assess quickly to get to the nub of the matter. He retains information at his fingertips and when asked for his views he is very quick to provide sound, reasoned and practical advice.”
Legal 500, 2023
“He is a good sounding board for strategies and excellent on his feet where he is very calm and assured.” … “A very clinical and really compelling advocate.” … “His strengths lie in quickly grasping the matter of the dispute and delivering fast, reliable advice.”
Chambers & Partners, 2022
“Crispin is frighteningly bright. He has a forensic mind which allows him to see through the chaff and get to the nub of any issue quickly. His advocacy style is calm, measured but insistent. Very effective.” … “Simply superb. Very responsive, helpful and suitably aggressive when he needs to be. A dedicated expert in his field. Richly deserved elevation to silk.” … “An excellent and polished advocate who works exceptionally hard to master the papers and be fully on top of the brief.”
Legal 500, 2022
“Reasonable, on top of the detail, commercial and an amazing advocate – particularly at cross-examination.”
Legal 500 EMEA, 2021
“a highly recommended dispute resolution practitioner who excels at assisting construction and energy sector clients in complex proceedings”
Who's Who Legal 2021
“One of the standout performers among senior juniors at the Construction Bar. He is thorough, well prepared, and an effective advocate.” … “He’s considered, calm under pressure and able to get up to speed quickly.”
Chambers & Partners, 2021
“Hard-working, team player who really understands how to present in international arbitration – should be a QC already.” … “Hard-working, great team player. Excellent cross-examination skills. Best junior barrister I have come across.” … “An excellent senior-junior – very clever and responsive.”
Legal 500, 2021
“absolutely first rate … an excellent cross-examiner in an arbitration context”
Who's Who Legal, 2020
“highly responsive … creative and quick on his feet, with real substance on the intellectual side of a dispute” … “He is stunningly good. His work is detailed and his manner of cross-examination is incisive but pleasant.” … “He prepares thoroughly and is very perceptive and good on his feet”
Chambers & Partners, 2020
“Very proactive and impressive.” … “Extremely hardworking, very effective in cross-examination and always responsive.”
Legal 500, 2020
“Excellent and technically very able. He is very personable and not afraid to roll up his sleeves and work as part of a wider legal team.”
Chambers & Partners, 2019
