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Hamish Fraser

Call 2021

"Excellent drafting. Thoughtful. Highly intelligent. Well ahead of his years in terms of drafting, research and views."
(Legal 500, 2025)

Insurance & Reinsurance

Hamish regularly advises and represents insurers and policyholders in respect of insurance and reinsurance related disputes in a diverse set of circumstances. His recent work includes:

  • 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 defendant W&I insurers who underwrote a £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 (led by Daniel Shapiro KC).
  • Representing a firm of insurance brokers in regard to a £5m professional negligence claim. It was alleged that the brokers had failed to arrange appropriate insurance which would have covered damage arising out of a fatal road traffic accident in the US which had involved one of the claimant’s employees whilst travelling on business (led by Daniel Shapiro KC).
  • Instructed to advise Insurers in respect of a breach of warranty claim brought by a private equity company after the acquisition of a leading professional training company.
  • Drafting particulars in relation to a coverage dispute after insurers declined to provide an indemnity for fire damage at a commercial premises due to breach of occupancy conditions.
  • Drafting a skeleton argument and assisting preparations for the Court of Appeal proceedings in Spire Healthcare Ltd v Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Ltd [2022] EWCA Civ 17. The matter concerned the interpretation of aggregation clauses in insurance contracts and arose from multiple claims brought against a private hospital by patients injured by the disgraced breast surgeon, Ian Paterson (as a pupil).

Selected Cases

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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)

Recommendations


“He is hardworking, dedicated and works well under pressure.”

Legal 500, 2025

“Excellent drafting. Thoughtful. Highly intelligent. Well ahead of his years in terms of drafting, research and views.”

Legal 500, 2025


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