Liana Turner

While still a pupil, Liana was instructed as part of a team of juniors to assist with disclosure on a fire insurance claim worth in excess of c£100m.

Additionally, Liana gained exposure to a broad spectrum of insurance work as a pupil including:

• Advising a Claimant who had suffered catastrophic personal injuries worth £3 million on whether the indemnity limit of his insurance was inclusive of his legal costs (which would have eroded his damages by almost £900,000).
• Drafting a defence on behalf of an insurer who had denied claims for COVID-19 business interruption losses.
• Drafting a defence on behalf of an insurance broker in a claim concerning an alleged non-disclosure of a claimant whose yacht had sustained significant damage.
• Advising on the scope of contractual liability and sub-contractor liability extensions contained within a public and product liability insurance policy.

As a pupil, Liana received instructions to assist with amending a defence on behalf of the insurers of chartered tax advisors in a multi-million pound claim concerning a claimant who had entered into numerous tax mitigation schemes and she was later instructed to assist with disclosure in advance of the mediation (led by Caroline McColgan).

Liana benefitted from the supervision of leading barristers in this area during pupillage. Examples of her work as a pupil include:

• Advising a firm of solicitors alleged to have misused client money during a property conveyance.
• Advising a firm of solicitors who had provided the claimant with independent legal advice in relation to a transaction in which the claimant secured a loan for the benefit of her son against two properties.
• Drafting a skeleton argument for an application for summary judgement on behalf of a firm of conveyancing solicitors in relation to a claimant who alleged that the sale of her property was an unconscionable bargain and procured by undue influence.

Liana gained exposure to a broad spectrum of construction work during pupillage including:

• Advising on behalf of the referring party in relation to the correct interpretation of an adjudication clause contained in a D&B contract for the construction of a school which had been leaking from the atrium roof.
• Conducting research into a contractual dispute concerning an alleged breach of a Development Funding Agreement after the building contractor abandoned the project due to financial difficulties.
• Advising on the enforcement of an adjudication award and the scope of the adjudicator’s power under 22A of the Scheme for Construction Contracts (England and Wales) Regulations 1998.

Liana gained experience to a broad spectrum of chambers’ commercial work during pupillage including:

• Drafting a response to an application in an arbitration claim worth in excess of $25m relating to the collateral management of cocoa and coffee stored at warehouses in Cameroon. The Applicant applied for disclosure of the reasons for declinature issued by the Respondent’s insurers in response to the Respondent’s claim under its professional indemnity policy.
• Attended a mediation concerning a builder alleged to have fraudulently obtained materials at a price lower than the market value.

Recent examples of her own work include:

• Settling a Defence to a claim brought by a tenant against a property management company for alleged breach of various provisions of the letting agreement.
• Advising on the correct interpretation of the Construction Plant-Hire Model Conditions 2021.

Liana has recently advised on the prospects of recovery the value of an excavator that became lodged on Mumbles beach. The incident was the subject of a BBC news article:  Mumbles: Digger left on beach swamped by high tide – BBC News

During pupillage, Liana was exposed to a variety of property damage claims. Examples include:

• Drafting a Particulars of Claim on behalf of the operator of a water treatment plant who supplied fresh water to residents in respect of a delivery driver who had discharged sodium hypochlorite into a ferric sulphate task, causing the production of a highly corrosive gas.
• Drafting a Defence on behalf of sub-contractors alleged to have caused damage by using a corrosive substance to clean the outside brickwork of a property.

Liana is developing a strong paper practice in this area and regularly provides advice on merits and strategy.  Examples of her recent work include:

• Advising on the merits of a claim against an electrician who installed miniature circuit breakers that were later recalled by the manufacturer.
• Advising on the merits and strategy of a claim concerning an allegedly defective tumble dryer that caused a fire and significant property damage.

Liana has been instructed to assist with advising on a claim concerning fire damage caused by two coffee machines (led by Elizabeth Boon). Liana is assisting with issues concerning limitation and a potential conflict of laws.

Liana also drafted a mediation position statement on behalf of residential developer in respect of water damage caused by defective radiators (as a pupil).

Liana is regularly instructed to attend small claims and fast track trials, applications and Stage 3 hearings.

Prior to joining chambers, Liana worked in the injury department of a leading law firm, gaining exposure to a variety of high-value personal injury issues including:

1. A claimant who suffered a serious spinal cord injury after falling from a horse during a show jumping competition.
2. Appealing a MIB award on behalf of a claimant who required a below the knee amputation following a road traffic accident.
3. A claimant who suffered life-threatening burns at work after a molten zinc tank overflowed.