“Amanda is fantastically clever and brilliant in court.” – Legal 500, 2022
“Very much a go-to barrister; her regulatory experience and background feeds into her formidable ability.” “Amanda is always spot on, extremely engaged, and clear and consistent in her views.” – Chambers & Partners, 2022
“She is a spectacular advocate who has held her own against established silks for years.” – Legal 500, 2021
“Her pleadings are always well crafted and thorough.” “She’s extremely pleasant to deal with, very hard-working, and I was impressed when I worked against her.” – Chambers & Partners, 2021
“Bright, engaging and smart.” – Legal 500, 2020
“A formidable advocate” who is “very hard-working, very pleasant and very focused.” “Her strategic overview is really valuable and insightful. When there is a mass of documents, she is the person who will cut through it and say, ‘this is the path we should take.'” – Chambers & Partners, 2020
Rated in both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 as a leading junior in this area, Amanda has variously been described as: “fantastic on paper and strong in mediation”, “extremely popular and deservedly so”, “an extremely thorough junior who presents her work in apple pie order”, “smart and reliable” and “doesn’t sit on the fence and is hard-hitting and practical”.
Professional liability forms a significant part of Amanda’s practice and she has extensive experience of professional liability claims, particularly those involving lawyers, including wasted costs claims and claims against barristers.
She is an editor of Jackson and Powell on Professional Liability (Sweet and Maxwell, 9th edition, 2022).
Claims against lawyers forms the largest part of Amanda’s professional liability practice and she has a wealth of experience in this field, including applications for wasted costs against both barristers and solicitors. She is regularly instructed by solicitors, their insurers and BMIF. Amanda has considerable experience of claims against barristers and has acted for Leading and Junior Counsel in a significant number of claims arising from, amongst other things, matrimonial, employment and the coal mining litigation, as well as claims arising from criminal matters. Amanda also specialises in claims against solicitors involving tax and general chancery issues, “lost” or “under settled” litigation (involving a wide range of underlying disputes) and multi party and contribution claims. She is frequently instructed to advise and act on cases involving limitation issues.
Reported cases include:
- Page v Kidd & Spoor Harper [2021] 11 WLUK 294: acting for the appellant (leading James Marwick) on appeal against strike out for limitation (section 14B) (arising from a vibration white finger claim on a limitation)
- Eneremadu v Hackney Homes [2020] EWHC 3869 (QB) strike out application, ECRO
- Clutterbuck v Brook Martin & Co [2019] EWHC 1040 (Ch) acting for firm of solicitors in strike out/summary judgment for (inter alia) abuse of process (led by David Halpern QC)
- Galazi v Christoforou [2019] EWHC 670 (Ch) acting for a firm of solicitors- application concerning amendments, discontinuance and costs
- Couper v Irwin Mitchell LLP acting for leading counsel – extent of civil restraint orders in the professional negligence context
- Ackerman v Thornhill [2017] RWHC 99 (Ch) strike out, allegations of collusion, bribery, impact of fresh evidence and fraud on settlement (led by Graeme McPherson QC)
- GWM v Templeton [2010] EWHC 2679 (Comm): acting for Leading and Junior Counsel in successfully defending a claim brought against them by ATE insurers (led by Michael Pooles QC)
- Patel v Air India [2010] EWCA Civ 443: wasted costs claim against solicitors
- Williams v Thompson Leatherdale [2008] EWHC 2574; [2009] PNLR 15 (QB) – instructed by BMIF and led by Charles Howard QC (1 King’s Bench Walk) in successful defence at trial of leading family silk arising out of settlement of ancillary relief proceedings
- Williams v Fairburn [2006] EWHC 1723 (Ch): barrister, strike out
- Daniels v. Thompson [2004] EWCA Civ 307; [2004] PNLR 33 (CA) – duties owed by solicitors to personal representatives in an inheritance tax context
- R (on the application of Yildrim) v Immigration Appeal Tribunal (wasted costs) [2002] 7 WLUK 21
- Brown v Bennett (Nos. 1 and 2) [2002] 1 WLR 713; [2001] 12 WLUK 450 – wasted costs against leading and junior barristers.
Other current and recent cases include:
- Several wasted costs applications brought (variously) against Silks and juniors in the fields of environmental law, ecclesiastical law, and family law
- Defending a leading family law firm in relation to a claim brought against it alleging under settlement of ancillary proceedings
- Acting for a firm of solicitors arising out of advice in relation to a personal guarantee given by a well known rock musician in connection with a substantial property development and associated finance agreement
- Defending solicitors in a multi-million pound claim brought by insurers against them arising out of the alleged mishandling of hundreds of insurance claims
- Instructed, with Jamie Smith QC and alone, to represent a firm of solicitors in several multi party claims in the ‘Hotel litigation’
- Acting (lead by Ben Hubble QC) in the “Right to Buy” litigation
Accountants, Auditors & Actuaries
Amanda has acted for and against accountants and auditors in number of cases concerning liability for audit and accounts preparation and, in particular, taxation advice.
Examples of other instructions include:
- Acting (leading Tom Shepherd) for a firm of accountants in claim arising out of the insolvency of former client
- Advising a firm of accountants in the Ingenious litigation
- Advising one of the ‘big four’ auditing firms in respect of failing to uncover fraud and misappropriations of former financial controller of a multi national company
- Acted at trial (as junior to Fiona Sinclair QC) for the former manager of a well known pop singer against a ‘Big 4’ firm relating to tax avoidance advice and the conduct of complex HMRC investigation
- Acting for a discretionary fund manager in a claim alleging bad investment advice, mismanagement of funds and deceit
- acting for an individual against an IFA in a claim for negligent investment advice following the collapse of an Icelandic bank
- Acting for high net worth individuals in a claim against large firm of accountants arising out of tax advice involving capital loss schemes
- acting against a firm of accountants in claims by former clients concerning preparation of and advice in relation to tax returns, including claims brought by non residents and claims involving IHT advice
- Acting for the successful defendant at trial in claim against an accountancy firm arising out of tax advice (as junior to Giles Goodfellow QC)
- Acting as junior to John Powell QC in a very substantial claim brought by a company against its auditors arising out of its failure to detect and/or report on an extensive and multi faceted fraud
Financial Service Professionals
Amanda has acted in claims against IFAs and discretionary fund managers. Examples include:
- Acting for a discretionary fund manager in a claim alleging bad investment advice, mismanagement of funds and deceit
- acting for an individual against an IFA in a claim for negligent investment advice following the collapse of an Icelandic bank
- Advising one of the defendants to the Ingenious litigation
Insurance Brokers & Agents
Amanda acts both for and against insurance brokers in claims involving issues of scope and level of cover, exclusions and non-disclosure and in the context of a wide range of insurance policies. Amanda’s experience of ‘pure’ insurance disputes, together with her extensive experience of professional indemnity claims across the board, renders her particularly well placed to deal with these claims.
Previous and ongoing instructions include:
- Acting for the insured in claim against brokers alleging uncertainty in the terms of the insurance exposing the insured to unnecessary arbitration
- Acting for brokers in respect of claim relating to alleged failure to advise as to change in the terms of cover and the application of Average provisions
- Acting for a recycling business in claim against its broker for failure to advise as to the meaning and effect of various warranties and conditions precedent
- Acting for reinsurance broker against former managing director for alleged breach of duty in relation to mid-term broker change
- Acting for broker defending claim for significant damage arising from lack of cover for property damage and business interruption following a major fire at a brewery, involving issues of breach of warranty, material non-disclosure and claims for loss of profit (including issues as to the application of Sprung v Royal Insurance)
Amanda has acted for claimants and defendants in a significant number of claims in relation to both commercial and residential property, including multi party claims and claims brought by banks and mortgage companies as well as by individuals.
Examples of instructions include:
Acting for well known firm of valuers instructed by and for bank in claim by directors and guarantors of company to whom loan was made: tested the limits of the scope of duties of care owed by valuers: Rehman v Santander and BNP Paribas Real Estate Advisory and Property Management UK Limited [2018] EWHC 748; [2018] 4 WLUK 127.
Numerous claims by lenders in respect of actual or potential mortgage frauds.
Acting in defence of claim by a bank specialising in the provision of residential development finance and bridging loans in respect of a claim against a firm of valuers who provided valuations of three developments on a residual and gross development value basis.
Construction Professionals
Amanda acts in claims involving a variety of construction professionals. Amanda is known for her attention to detail and enjoys the challenge presented by document heavy and complex litigation, attributes which she considers stand her in good stead in this field. She has particular experience of claims against engineers, architects and designers, ranging from claims against heating plant engineers to claims concerning the design and management of a skate park! Amanda has also been instructed in several cases concerning building/ property management.