Costs
Peter is regularly instructed in costs disputes arising out of personal injury and industrial disease claims. He attends costs hearings in the Senior Courts Costs Office, the High Court and the County Courts.
He has considerable experience of detailed assessments of costs, acting for paying and receiving parties.
In addition he has litigated matters such as: wasted costs orders; the premature issue of proceedings; and the acceptance and effect of Part 36 offers and other offers.
Representative cases include:
- Detailed assessment for paying party. Questions of premature issue and relevance of Part 45 predictive costs regime. Peter secured preliminary ruling that proceedings were issued prematurely.
- Detailed assessment of Bill totalling more than £150,000, for paying party. Case settled satisfactorily following preliminary rulings that VAT was not recoverable at the current rate throughout and that costs were disproportionate.
- Detailed assessment in SCCO for paying party following fatal mesothelioma claim. Peter successfully argued for reduction in hourly rates to be allowed to prominent claimant asbestos litigation firm.
- Appeal to Circuit Judge from Regional Costs Judge over hourly rates allowed on detailed assessment in multi-track PI claim.
Selected Cases
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News
- Michael Kent QC and Peter Houghton in the Supreme Court
- Heneghan: damages for asbestos-assoctiated lung cancer are divisible
Qualifications
- MA (Hons) (Cantab) (Double First Class)
- MPhil (Cantab) (Distinction)
- CPE (City) (Distinction)
- BVC (ICSL) (Outstanding)
- Lord Brougham and Lord Denning Scholarships (Lincoln’s)
Recommendations
“He is very good, knows what he’s talking about and makes all the right points.”; “He is very analytical but pleasant to deal with.”
Chambers & Partners, 2021
“Peter is hardworking and studious. He has an excellent eye for detail and his drafting skills are superb. Takes on work at short notice that others might fear to touch.”
Legal 500, 2021
“He is very good at tailoring his advice to each client.”; “He is extremely reliable, very responsive and has a calm manner.”
Chambers & Partners, 2021
“Always goes the extra mile for his clients.”
Chambers & Partners, 2020