Professional Liability
Patrick is instructed in professional negligence matters involving a wide range of professionals. Much of his work involves claims against solicitors, barristers and construction professionals. Patrick is also instructed in claims against a variety of other professionals, including valuers, insurance brokers, patent attorneys, accountants and IFAs.
Selected Cases
Construction professionals
- Acting for the defendant structural engineer in a c.£4m TCC claim concerning allegedly defective foundation design.
- Acting (with Andrew Rigney KC) in a TCC claim valued at £30m+ concerning alleged M&E defects in an advanced manufacturing and technology facility.
- Acting for the defendant architect in c.£1.5 claim arising from an office block conversion.
- Achieving a favourable settlement for a high net worth individual in a claim against a contract administrator arising out of extensive residential project.
- Acting for the defendant structural engineer in a £1m TCC claim concerning defects in a newly constructed public building (KC opponent).
- Acting for the defendant contract administrator in a £1m multi-party TCC claim concerning defects and the allegedly negligent certification of practical completion.
- Acting for various parties in numerous disputes arising from allegedly defective cladding in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower disaster, including as sole counsel in claims for £10m+.
- Acting on behalf of the defendant structural engineer in TCC proceedings concerning noise emission from Beetham Tower, Manchester.
Legal professionals
- Acting for a barrister in a claim concerning allegations that he gave negligent advice about the defence of a forfeiture claim.
- Successfully achieving the dismissal, at trial, of a claim against solicitors concerning the alleged under settlement of a personal injury claim.
- Acting for defendant solicitors in relation to their alleged failure to give adequate advice in relation to a mortgage deed.
- Advising in a claim arising from solicitors’ allegedly negligent instructions in relation to an expert.
- Acting for a barrister in a claim concerning the provision of allegedly negligent advice in relation to claims that arose from the sale of a company.
- Achieving a favourable settlement for a commercial property developer in a claim against solicitors arising from the failure to advise on the presence of a sewer.
- Acting for a barrister alleged to have been negligent in the conduct of matrimonial proceedings.
- Acting for the defendant firm in a case concerning the adequacy of pre-conveyance surveys and rights of way.
- Acting for the defendant solicitor in defence of allegations of negligence that arose from the drafting of a purchase option agreement.
Other professionals
- Acting for the defendant surveyor in a £2.5m claim arising from an allegedly negligent property valuation.
- Acting for the defendant patent attorney in a claim for c.£10m concerning the alleged failure to register a trademark.
- Sole counsel for the defendant collateral manager in a USD$20m UNCITRAL arbitration concerning commodities finance arrangements in Africa.
- Acting for the defendant accountancy firm in a claim concerning the allegedly negligent provision of advice in respect of a share-buy-back agreement.
- Successfully defending a claim brought against a surveyor about an alleged failure to identify major damage to structural timbers.
- Acting for the claimants in a dispute concerning the negligent provision of accountancy services and tax advice which also involves allegations of breach of contract, fraudulent misrepresentations, bribery and breach of fiduciary duty (with Roger ter Haar KC).
News
- Sky & Mace v Insurers: Court of Appeal judgment
- Sky & Mace v Riverstone Managing Agency & Ors [2023] EWHC 1207 (Comm)
Events
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
Recommendations
“He is excellent at drafting and gives clear advice”…“Patrick is very user-friendly and great with clients”…“His turnaround time is amazing”.
Chambers & Partners, 2025
“He has good attention to detail. He is responsive, collaborative, and very easy to deal with.”
Legal 500, 2025
“Patrick gets to grips with what the claim actually is and his drafting is excellent. There’s never a point made that’s frivolous. He’s very homed in and very keen on the nub of the matters at hand.”… “Patrick Maxwell is skilful, knowledgeable, approachable and user-friendly.”
Chambers & Partners, 2024
“Patrick combines a truly exceptional intellect with being a user-friendly, normal person who is a pleasure to work with”…“Patrick is very sound and commercial and his advice is robust and well argued.”
Chambers & Partners, 2023
