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Michael Harper

Call 2016

“Michael is a future star with exceptional ability, dedication and commitment to the cause.” “A seriously talented junior.”
(Chambers & Partners, 2025 and Legal 500, 2025)

Professional Liability

Michael is identified as a leading junior in Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners for professional liability, which forms a core part of his practice.

Michael has extensive experience of a wide variety of claims against professionals, including solicitors, brokers, accountants and other financial professionals, construction professionals, surveyors and other agents, consultants and professionals.

A notable past example was one of the Lawyer’s Top 20 cases of 2019, a £300m professional negligence dispute, which fought through to a 5-week trial (and which would have been longer but for the compressed trial timetable).

Examples of Michael’s work are given below.

Lawyers

  • Proceedings against a global law firm (pre-action): £50m claim arising out of a large commercial property acquisition. Led by Roger Stewart KC.
  • Proceedings against a (different) global law firm (pre-action): £20m claim arising out of a multi-billion private equity acquisition. Led by Daniel Shapiro KC.
  • Cornell v Newtons Solicitors: £2m claim, alleging failure to advise a property developer client on title. Sole counsel.
  • PBF Investments v Ewan & Co: £1m claim arising from a loan raising, amongst other issues, a defence of illegality based on a fraudulent or sham lending arrangement. Sole counsel.
  • Iyegbe v CMS: acting to strike out a £5.5m claim making serious allegations, including fraud, against two solicitors and a Court clerk and obtaining a civil restraint order. Sole counsel.
  • Muirgold v CMS: £14m claim arising from negotiation of long-term hotel management agreements. Led by Roger Stewart KC, but acting as sole counsel on interim applications.
  • First Tower Trustees v Olswang LLP: £2.5m claim alleging wide-ranging breaches, relating to transactional work and thereafter litigation arising from the transaction. Led by Daniel Shapiro KC.
  • Mayr v CMS: one of the Lawyer’s Top 20 cases of 2019. Michael defended CMS in a £300m negligence claim on the principal basis that the claim arose out of the claimants’ fraud. The claimants discontinued during a 5-week trial following cross-examination of their principal witnesses. The case involved expert accountancy evidence and a number of procedural skirmishes. Led by Roger Stewart KC and Daniel Shapiro KC.
  • Significant experience of claims against solicitors generally, particularly in the context of conveyancing.

Insurance Brokers & Agents

  • Kalra v J Bennett & Sons: £2m brokers’ negligence claim, following rejection of cover for alleged non-disclosure. Sole counsel.
  • Dispute between a major car manufacturer and its brokers: £1m brokers’ negligence claim for failure to place cover. Sole counsel.
  • Claim by a major insurer against a major provider of legal expenses insurance and funding regarding the operation of its delegated authority across thousands of ATE policies. Led by Ben Pilling KC.
  • Broker’s negligence claim relating to the adequacy of the policy placed.

Accountants & Financial Professionals

  • Mount Anvil Group v KPMG: £6m accountants’ negligence claim, arising from an alleged forfeiture of tax relief due to incorrect returns. Led by Roger Stewart KC.
  • Vilintone & ors v Wincham International: claim against international asset specialists (combining legal, taxation and accountancy services), allegations as to tax consequences of acquisition of Spanish property via corporate vehicles.

Construction Professionals

  • The Grenfell Tower Litigation: civil claims arising out of the Grenfell Tower Fire, including defending negligence claims against the main contractor and bringing negligence claims against a variety of other construction professionals. Led, as part of a team, by Andrew Rigney KC.
  • Fatboys Catering Equipment v Burnside Hotel: claim for unpaid fees and counterclaim for alleged breaches in relation to the design and installation of a commercial hotel kitchen; protracted litigation (2019-2024), due to a number of procedural skirmishes.
  • The Gym v Brighton Seafront Regeneration & ors: multi-party dispute arising from construction works.
  • Advising on and drafting letters of claim against the architect and parties contracted to design and supply and to fix planters at an eight-storey commercial office building.
  • Yord & ors v Design Realised: dispute as to the quality of works and materials regarding works to two properties.
  • Advising and settling particulars for fire damage at a residential property caused by hot works during a construction project.
  • RG Carter Holdings v Horton Construction Services: claim by the main contractor against the carpentry subcontractor for allegedly defective construction of a loft hatch (leading to personal injury and settlement by the main contractor).

Surveyors & Valuers

  • Significant experience of surveying claims generally, particularly in the context of properties and yachts.
  • Robinson v Aldi Stores et ors: claim against quantity surveyor in a multi-party construction dispute, relating to a roofing project.
  • Brown v Underwood: claim against chartered surveyor relating to residential property.

Emerging & Non Standard Professionals

  • Capital Development Investments v Shadow Consultancy Services: claims for alleged breaches of a contract for security services at a commercial property (during which a burglary occurred) and unjust enrichment; counterclaim for unpaid fees.
  • Pour v X Scuderia: claim for alleged breach of contract to restore a vintage Rolls Royce.
  • Malik v X Scuderia: claim for alleged breach of contract to restore a high-end supercar (a 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB).
  • Vilintone & ors v Wincham International: claim against international asset specialists (combining legal, taxation and accountancy services), allegations as to tax consequences of acquisition of Spanish property via corporate vehicles.
  • Bushwood v Wincham International: claim against international asset specialists, alleged failure to investigate title.

Experience prior to joining Chambers

  • Hughes-Holland v BPE [2017] UKSC 21: Michael assisted with the appeal, culminating in the landmark judgment in which the Supreme Court restated SAAMCO principles.

Selected Cases

View full profile »

Recommendations


“Michael is a future star with exceptional ability, dedication and commitment to the cause.” “Michael is a go-to counsel for a range of professional negligence claims. He brings a reassuring calm and insight to all matters.”

Chambers & Partners, 2025

“Michael has a real eye for detail and immerses himself in the case. A seriously talented junior, excellent in both his drafting and ability to engage with clients.” “Michael is a tenacious barrister. He is incredibly diligent and leaves no stone unturned. He makes even the most difficult issues digestible for clients.”

Legal 500, 2025

“Technically brilliant and very able in complex matters.”

Legal 500, 2024

“Michael is enormously talented and enthusiastic in equal measure. He consumes the facts voraciously and applies the law surgically.”

Legal 500, 2023

“Michael is enormously talented and enthusiastic in equal measure. He consumes the facts voraciously and applies the law surgically.”

Legal 500, 2022


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