Hamish Fraser

Hamish has developed a successful practice across Chambers’ core areas, particularly in commercial disputes, insurance, professional negligence, inquests and inquiries, property damage, and product liability.

He is ranked in the Legal 500 as a rising star in Professional Negligence and Insurance & Reinsurance, where he is described as “well ahead of his years in terms of drafting, research and views”.

Recent highlights and examples of Hamish’s work include:

• Clarendon Dental Spa LLP & Anor v Aviva Insurance Ltd & Zurich Insurance Limited [2025] EWHC 267 (Comm). Hamish successfully represented the claimant policyholder in its strike out/summary judgment application arising from an £8m insurance coverage dispute. The Court held that the Defendant insurer had impliedly waived disclosure of matters which it had relied upon as entitling it to avoid the policy in full such that its defence had no real prospect of success and was struck out (led by Ben Quiney KC).
• Groen & Ors v Heath [2024] EWHC 1654 (Ch): representing the claimant group of angel investors in a complex, investment-related civil fraud claim. Following a 13-day trial, it was successfully proved that the claimants had been induced by a number of fraudulent misrepresentations to invest in a tech start-up promising innovative marketing software (led by Jason Evans-Tovey).
• David Wood Baking (UK) Limited v QBE & Ors (Comm): representing the policyholder in a c£100m insurance coverage dispute arising out of a substantial fire at a commercial premises. The matter proceeded on an expedited basis and settled shortly before trial (led by Daniel Shapiro KC).
• Finsbury Food Group Plc v Axis Corporate Capital UK Ltd [2023] EWHC 1559 (Comm). Commercial Court trial representing the successful defendant W&I insurers who underwrote the £20m acquisition of a food manufacturing business. The buyer of the business claimed under the W&I policy on the basis of alleged breaches of a number of warranties under the share purchase agreement. The defendant insurers succeeded on every issue after a two-week trial (led by Daniel Shapiro KC).
• Hamsard One Thousand and Forty-Three Ltd v AE Insurance Brokers Ltd [2024] EWHC 262 (Comm). Commercial Court trial successfully representing a firm of insurance brokers alleged to have negligently failed to arrange an appropriate scope of cover and to disclose material facts such that the insurer avoided the policy for non-disclosure and misrepresentation. The claim was rejected and the Claimant’s director was found to have “constructed an account which bears little resemblance to reality” in order to support the case (led by Daniel Shapiro KC).

Hamish originally read English at the University of Oxford, where he graduated with a First-Class degree. After turning to law, he gained a Distinction in every subject on the GDL and was graded Outstanding on the BPTC. He has been awarded a number of prizes and scholarships, including the Crowther Shield for public speaking and the Tancred scholarship from Lincoln’s Inn.

Articles

• Waiver of disclosure under the Insurance Act 2015
• Defending W&I claims: strategic themes illustrated in Finsbury Foods v Axis & Ors

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Blogs

• Waiver of disclosure under the Insurance Act 2015

News

• High Court hands down judgment in Clarendon Dental Spa v Zurich [2025] EWHC 267 (Comm)
• Jason Evans-Tovey and Hamish Fraser successful in civil fraud claim in the Chancery Division

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Events

• Crown Office Chambers at The National Pupillage Fair 2024
• Crown Office Chambers Pupillage Open Evening

Qualifications

• BPTC (Outstanding), BPP
• GDL (Distinction), City University
• English Language & Literature (First Class), University of Oxford

Awards

• Buchanan Prize for outstanding performance on the BPTC (Lincoln’s Inn, 2020)
• Advocacy Scholarship (BPP, 2019)
• Tancred Scholarship (Lincoln’s Inn, 2019)
• Winner, the Crowther Shield for public speaking (Lincoln’s Inn, 2019)
• Winner, the Crown Office Mooting Competition (2018)
• The Janet Quigley Prize for Middle English studies (Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, 2016)