Patrick Maxwell

Insurance & Reinsurance

Patrick is frequently instructed by insurers in all the areas in which he practices. He has substantial experience of fraudulent claims as well as disputes concerning policy interpretation, avoidance of cover for nondisclosure, misrepresentation and breach of notification clauses.

Selected Cases

• Acting for Insurers in a £200m claim under a CAR policy involving various complex coverage issues: Sky & Mace v Riverstone [2023] EWHC 1207 (Comm) (with Andrew Rigney KC).
• Sole counsel for insurers in a c.£60m claim under a CAR policy arising from alleged damage at a residential development.
• Acting for the insured in a c.£8m claim arising from a fire at a recycling plant.
• Achieving a favourable settlement for the insured following extensive fire damage to a commercial property despite insurer’s allegations of non-disclosure.
• Acting for the insured in a c.£5m dispute concerning the proper application of deductibles under a policy that provided cover for offshore wind farms.
• LB Harrow v Engie (2018) (TCC) Acting (with Andrew Rigney KC) in successful claim for a declaration as to the extent of the claimant’s obligation to take out a policy of latent defects insurance.
• Acting (with Ben Quiney KC) in an arbitration concerning a c.£3m coverage dispute under a professional indemnity policy.
• Acting for the defendant insurer in a coverage dispute worth c.£1m that arose from a fire at business premises.
• Acting (as part of a counsel team) on behalf of underwriters in an multi million pound arbitration concerning after the event insurance policies provided by solicitors under delegated authority.
• Acting for the insured in a c.£1m claim arising from flood damage where insurers seek to avoid the policy for alleged misrepresentations.
• Advising (with Andrew Rigney KC) on interpretation of a combined Public and Product Liability policy in a c.£3m property damage claim.
• Acting in a claim concerning the validity of a settlement agreement in which it was alleged that a loss adjuster had acted without or in excess of the authority of its principle.

News

• Sky & Mace v Insurers: Court of Appeal judgment
• Sky & Mace v Riverstone Managing Agency & Ors [2023] EWHC 1207 (Comm)

Read more

Events

• Crown Office Office Chambers and HKA Event – ‘The cost of Covid for construction: dealing with supply chain issues’

Qualifications

• BA Hons (First Class), University of Oxford
• GDL, City University
• BPTC, City University
• David Karmel Award, Grays Inn
• Holt Scholarship, Grays Inn
• Academic Scholarships, Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford

Memberships

• SCL
• COMBAR
• PNBA