Ivor Collett

Ivor’s practice covers commercial, professional liability and insurance disputes, with a particular focus on construction professionals and lawyers.  He is heavily involved in cases of impostor fraud and appeared successfully in the recent Court of Appeal case of P&P Property Ltd and Dreamvar (UK) Ltd (and at trial).  Ivor’s insurance work involves policy wording and coverage issues of notification, non-disclosure, aggregation, minimum terms, disputes between insurers, and Third Parties’ rights.  He is well known in the professional indemnity sector and is frequently instructed in cases against or co-defending with silks.

Ivor is a TECBAR-accredited Construction Adjudicator.  He was involved in development of the Professional Negligence Adjudication Scheme.  Over the last 5 years he has been the most frequently-appointed Adjudicator under the Scheme and he is the lead trainer for its accredited adjudicators.

Recent work includes:

• Extensive involvement in multiple identity/imposter fraud claims against professionals (with a one-week Court of Appeal hearing in 2018)
• High Court trial defending a recent loss of a chance solicitors’ claim
• High Court trial defending LPA receivers
• Involvement in post-Grenfell cladding claims in construction disputes, acting for designers and architects
• Successful defence of multi-party construction / professional negligence claim in the TCC and Court of Appeal
• Asbestos-related industrial injury litigation
• Sitting as Adjudicator in professional negligence adjudication disputes

Reported cases & recent work include:

• Centenary Homes Ltd v Gershinson (2020) QBD. Trial of professional negligence claim against LPA receivers.
• Hanbury v Hugh James Solicitors [2019] EWHC 1074 (QB). Loss of a chance claim arising out of asbestos litigation.
• P&P Property Ltd v Owen White & Catlin LLP and Dreamvar (UK) Ltd v Mishcon de Reya [2018] EWCA Civ 1082. Professional negligence liabilities in Identity Fraud cases.  QC opponents and co-defendants.
• Couper v Irwin Mitchell LLP (2018) – ChD professional negligence claim against solicitors and counsel for loss of 3-week trial over property and Thames mooring rights.
• 14 Claimants v Cocks Lloyd Solicitors (2018) – ChD professional negligence claims against solicitors firm arising out of fraudulent property scheme. QC opponent.
• ECL Contracts Ltd v BRT Ltd (2018) – TCC claim arising out of cladding design / construction errors on multiple high rise blocks in Glasgow.
• Centenary Homes Ltd v Gershinson (2017) and (2018) – QB strike-out / summary judgment of professional negligence claim against LPA Receivers. QC opponent.
• Santander v Michael Parkes Surveyors Ltd (2016) – QB Appeal to High Court re fraud allegations in professional negligence claim against valuer.
• Southern Gas Networks Plc v Thames Water (2014) – TCC claim dealing with utility company liabilities to plant owners under statutory regime. QC opponent.
• Millharbour Management Ltd v Weston Homes Plc (2014) – TCC professional claim against M&E consultants. QC opponents, co-defendants and Leader (Michael Soole QC).
• Nicholson v Thames Water [2014] EWHC 4249 (QB) – liability for sewerage flooding of domestic premises.
• Barnes v Hydrex Equipment / Jarvis Rail (2013) – contribution between railway contractors and plant hirers in fatal accident claim. QC opponent.
• Davies v Barnes Webster [2011] EWHC 2560 (Ch) – liability of unincorporated association (rugby club) for sums due under building contract.
• Kew v Bettamix [2006] EWCA Civ 1535 – limitation and issue-based costs.
• Hodson Developments v GTA Civils Ltd Whitehouse Practice [2006] EWHC 1913 (TCC) – successful defence of a 3-week TCC trial in construction / professional negligence claims.
• Warfield Park Homes v Warfield Park Residents’ Association [2006] EWCA Civ 283 – effect of OFWAT and OFGEM directives on charges for onward utility sales by intermediaries. QC opponent.
• Sunley v Gowland White [2004] PNLR 15 CA – commercial valuation professional negligence claim.
• Foreman v O’Driscoll & Partners [2000] Lloyd’s Rep PN 720 QBD – solicitors’ negligence / limitation and deliberate concealment.

Events

• Dubai Arbitration Week, 14-18 November 2022
• Kim Franklin QC and Ivor Collett to speak at “Adjudication Disputes: Construction, Professional Negligence and Beyond” CIArb East Midlands Branch event

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News

• Katrina Makunova inquest- ‘prevention of future death reports’ to be issued
• Ivor Collett contributes to CICES Construction Law Review 2021 – 2022

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Articles

• Burnett or Grant v International Insurance Co of Hanover Ltd
• Ivor Collett successfully defends LPA Receivers in professional negligence trial

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Qualifications

• Lincoln College, Oxford (1993 BA(Hons))
• City University, London (1994, PGDip in Law)

Memberships

• London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association
• Personal Injuries Bar Association
• Professional Negligence Bar Association (Executive Committee)
• TECBAR
• Chancery Bar Association
• Member of the Bar Council

Rankings

Legal 500 2018
Professional negligence – leading juniors – Tier 3- ‘His straight talking down-to-earth commercial approach means that he doesn’t waste time and he gets straight to the point.’

Chambers & Partners 2019
Professional negligence (Juniors) – Band 3 – A well-regarded junior who regularly handles professional negligence claims relating to professionals in the construction and legal sectors. Additionally, he has considerable insurance expertise and regularly acts for insurers, as well as defendants in professional indemnity litigation. He also sits as an adjudicator.  “He is very down-to-earth, approachable, unstuffy and sensible. He can really get on the client’s wavelength.”  Recent work: Acted in a claim against LPA Receivers by a property owner for negligent handling of receivership and sale of properties to clear the property owner’s debts to a bank.