Amanda Savage

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 recently acted for Leading and Junior Counsel in a claim brought by after the event insurers, culminating in a two week trial in the Commercial Court (GWM v Templeton, October 2010).

She is an editor of Jackson and Powell on Professional Liability (Sweet and Maxwell, 6^th edition, 2007).

“Great attention to detail, strong on paper and very good on her feet.” – Legal 500, 2019

Insurance forms a sizeable and increasingly significant part of Amanda’s practice and one which she is seeking to develop further. This area of her practice dovetails well with Amanda’s increasing experience of claims against insurance professionals and her expertise in the professional liability field. She has advised and acted on insurance disputes involving the construction of policies and coverage issues (both between insurers and between insurers and the insured) both generally and in the professional indemnity context, including cases involving notification issues, what constitutes a ‘claim’ and dishonesty exclusions (particularly involving cases of actual or suspected mortgage fraud).

Amanda was recently junior counsel in a substantial insurance dispute (led by Graham Eklund QC) which was the subject of trial in March 2014 and on appeal in the Court of Appeal in March 2015: Milton Furniture Ltd v Brit Insurance Ltd [2015] EWCA Civ 671 (decision at first instance reported at [2014] Lloyd’s Rep. I.R. 540)

Amanda has also acted and advised in disputes arising out of combined commercial insurance policies, critical illness and permanent health insurance policies. She was involved (during part time secondments at CMS Cameron McKenna and RPC respectively) in commercial litigation relating to insurance for film finance (contingent expenses insurance) and with the LMX PA Spiral arbitrations.

Examples of past and ongoing instructions include:

• Acting (with Graham Eklund QC) for insured against insurers in dispute involving interpretation of conditions precedent to liability and allegations of breach of condition relating to an intruder alarm
• Advising and acting in respect of numerous arbitrations between insurers as to when a “claim” was made against a solicitor;
• Advising and acting in respect of numerous arbitrations between insurers involving questions of successor practices including in the  context of sole practitioners and he effect of ‘holding out’ on the definition of “sole practitioner” and “transition” within the MTC Rules
• Advising in a coverage dispute between insurers and insured, involving considerations of insolvency law and the nature of a potential claim against company administrators
• Defending underwriters in relation to a claim brought by a tour operator involving multiple holiday insurance claims
• Acting for an individual in a dispute arising out of a repatriation and health cover insurance policy
• Advising on policy interpretation in an employers’ liability claim
• Acting in permanent health insurance and critical illness policy dispute

Amanda’s practice also involves acting for insurers in subrogated recovery actions involving property damage. She acted for two businesses in relation to a multimillion pound claim in the ‘Buncefield’ litigation.

Amanda undertakes a broad range of general commercial litigation, including disputes regarding the supply and sale of goods, partnership disputes, and a variety of commercial contractual disputes, including in the insurance field. She has a particular interest in disputes concerning the construction of contracts and in case concerning the conflict of laws. Amanda also acts in agency disputes and in this regard advised and acted for a large supplier of pipes and valves to contractors operating in the oil and gas, power and process industries in litigation involving the construction of contracts and the Commercial Agents (Council Directive) Regulations 1993.

Amanda has experience of commercial fraud cases and acted as junior counsel (led by John Powell QC) for a company in administrative receivership in a multi million pound commercial fraud case brought against a former major supplier and its directors. She was recently instructed on behalf of a firm of solicitors in complex litigation arising out of mortgage fraud, dealing with questions of (amongst other things) the application and interpretation of the Insolvent Partnerships Order 1994.

Amanda’s first introduction to product liability claims was whilst a pupil, when she was instructed in the Hepatitis litigation. Since then, Amanda has been instructed in several product liability claims including: for a large national company in a claim brought against it for a contribution to a claim arising out of the manufacture, design and installation of a trailer lift axle system, for a Scottish print company in an action against a well known manufacturer of printing presses. Amanda also acted (with Fiona Sinclair) for Renault Trucks UK in the successful defence of a contribution claim arising out of the design and construction of locking systems used in fire appliances: London Fire & Emergency Planning Authority v. Meritor Light Vehicle Systems (UK) Ltd [2003] EWHC 2411. She has recently acted in claims against several well known car manufacturers and their distributors in claims arising out of the manufacture, sale and supply of defective vehicles and parts.

Amanda recently represented (with Simon Monty QC) the principal respondent in the longest ever hearing before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SRA v Dennison and others) over a period of many weeks. During the case, Amanda gained valuable insight into the workings of the SDT and disciplinary and regulatory work in general, and expects that experience to stand her in good stead in future cases involving solicitors and other professionals.

Amanda has been instructed on a number of claims involving property damage caused by fire, explosions, subsidence and construction and repair work. Many of such claims are subrogated insurance recovery claims and her work in this area dovetails with her insurance practice, as well as her professional liability work.

Amanda is currently instructed by the claimant in respect of two claims, each worth several million pounds, involving the collapse of concrete underpinning and the failure of concrete foundations and floor slabs respectively.

Other examples of substantial claims include:

£14 million fire damage claim in a building merchant’s premises arising from the negligent installation of a flue to a wood-burning stove (insufficient and inadequate supports to the flue to resist torsional twisting) (led by Graham Eklund QC)

Acting for car dealer and distributors in respect of fire damage and consequential loss caused by electrical defects within cars for sale on the premises

Acting for a number of claimants in the Buncefield Litigation, including a substantial claim for insured and uninsured losses suffered by  a printing business.