David Turner KC

Contact details

VAT number: 627295519

ICO number: Z4730079

Clerk: Alex Dolby

+442078222036

David Turner KC specialises in commercial insurance and reinsurance, professional liability (principally accountants (both complex tax planning and auditors’ negligence), brokers and solicitors) and commercial product liability disputes. David is nominated for Financial Services and Insurance Silk of the Year at the Legal 500 Bar Awards 2024,

He has been described in the Directories as “a superb courtroom performer and deadly cross-examiner”, “tactically astute with a forensic approach to detail”, “very quick thinking on his feet”, “there is no part of a case which he does not familiarise himself with. There are no corners cut, he has everything at his fingertips in court”, “an excellent QC – very meticulous, thorough and measured”, having “a measured style which earns the court’s trust” and “great with clients”.

David’s practice has typically involved large-scale disputes in the Commercial Court, Chancery Division, the Technology and Construction Court and in arbitration both at home and overseas. He enjoys working as part of a large, multi-disciplinary team, and places great emphasis on identifying and pursuing a strategy which meets his client’s commercial requirements.

David accepts appointments to serve as either a sole or a party-nominated arbitrator in disputes in the UK and internationally.

David is a member of COMBAR, TECBAR and the Professional Negligence Bar Association. He is an advocacy trainer for Gray’s Inn.

Publications

David is author of the chapter on Professional Indemnity Insurance in Jackson & Powell on Professional Liability, and a reasonably frequent contributor to Insurance Law Monthly.

Wider experience

David was a non-executive board member of a national charity from 2013 until 2019, serving additionally on its finance and medical research grants committees. He has also been a lay member of a Clinical Reference Group for a national specialised service.

Privacy Policy

Click here for a Privacy Policy for David Turner KC.

Areas of expertise

David’s experience in the field of international arbitration includes:

Tribunal member in a DIFC-LCIA arbitration in relation to a coverage dispute under a Directors and Officers insurance policy.
Acting for the Employer in an arbitration seated in Dubai under DIAC rules defending claims from the Main Contractor for delay and disruption with a value of AED300m relating to the construction of a residential development
Acting for insurers in an arbitration seated in Abu Dhabi under the ICC rules arising out of a group life etc policy
Acting for the owner in an ICC arbitration concerning the entitlement of an international hotel chain to terminate its agreement to manage a UAE hotel
Acting for the local cedant in an arbitration under DIFC-LCIA rules in a claim against the reinsurer of a medical insurance programme
Chairing the tribunal in an arbitration arising out of a quota share reinsurance treaty between a GCC-based cedant and its reinsurer
Acting for the Employer in an arbitration seated in Dubai under DIAC rules, defending claims (including claims for delay and disruption) from the Main Contractor with an overall value of approximately AED80m relating to the construction of a hotel under FIDIC Red Book (1977 Edition) conditions
Acting for the reinsurers of a medical insurance programme in an international arbitration seated in the DIFC under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules
Acting for excess layer underwriters in an arbitration seated in London in respect of claims by generic pharmaceutical manufacturers/distributors under various patent infringement liability policies
Acting for project insurers in an arbitration seated in Mumbai under the IBA Rules, arising out of the construction of a 10.5 MMTPA oil refinery in Asia and involving claims totalling US$800m for material damage and under an ALOP/DSU policy

David’s experience in this field includes:

Acting for a major public authority in a substantial dispute with a services outsourcing provider in relation to a strategic partnering agreement
Acting for insurers in an arbitration concerning the construction of a 10.5 MMTPA oil refinery in Asia and involving claims for material damage and under an ALOP/DSU policy
Advising in relation to the Evangelos Florakis naval base explosion in Cyprus
Acting for the owner/operator of a PFI waste recycling facility in a claim arising from fire damage to the plant during the course of modifications
Acting for the main group of property owner claimants in the Buncefield litigation

David’s experience in the construction field includes:

Leading a team of counsel acting for the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and the Tenant Management Organisation in relation to recovery actions arising out of the Grenfell Tower fire.
Acting for the owners of a 5-star London hotel in relation to a £70m claim against a main contractor following damage to the hotel in the course of refurbishment work.
Acting for the Employer in an arbitration seated in Dubai under DIAC rules defending claims from the Main Contractor for delay and disruption with a value of AED300m relating to the construction of a residential development.
Acting for a PFI contractor in defending a claim by a waste disposal authority for declarations as to the authority’s entitlement to terminate a contract for the construction and operation of a substantial Biological and Mechanical Treatment plant.
Representing the Employer in an arbitration seated in Dubai under DIAC rules, defending claims (including claims for delay and disruption) from the Main Contractor with an overall value of approximately AED80m relating to the construction of a hotel under FIDIC Red Book (1977 Edition) conditions.
Acting for the supplier of aggregate used for the construction of motorway concrete safety barriers in a case raising issues as to the extent of remedial works necessary to address contamination of the aggregate, the incorporation and application of the ADR provisions contained within Clause 93 of the NEC 3 Supply Short Contract, the effect of the duty of mutual trust and co-operation imposed by Clause 10.1 of the NEC 3 suite of contracts and whether the parties’ arbitration agreement was “null and void, inoperative or incapable of being performed” within the meaning of s.9(4) of the Arbitration Act 1996.
Advising insurers for a major UK construction company as to coverage in relation to potential claims arising from the construction of a mechanical biological treatment plant under a major waste and recycling PFI contract in the North West of England.
Acting for insurers in a mega-arbitration seated in Mumbai under the IBA Rules, arising out of the construction of a 10.5 MMTPA oil refinery in Asia and involving claims under both the material damage and ALOP (DSU) sections of the project all-risks policy. Part of a multinational team, David led on the extensive programming, project management, construction and associated procurement issues relating to almost every process unit, utility and offsite.
Acting for property owners in Part 8 proceedings against a contractor’s liability insurers concerning the scope of the contractor’s obligation to provide collateral warranties and the interrelationship between that obligation and an exclusion in the contractor’s policy.
Advising professional indemnity insurers in relation to policy response to a claim alleging defects in the design/construction of a piled slab.
Acting for the Employer in a dispute as to whether the terms of a final account settlement precluded further claims against a main contractor.
Acting for defendant M&E contractors in a claim relating to corrosion of chilled water pipework.
Acting for the owner/operator of a PFI waste recycling facility in a claim arising from fire damage to the plant during the course of modifications.
Acting for M&E consultants/contractors in a £6M claim arising out of the design and construction of the London Fire Brigade’s training facility.
Acting for defendant structural engineers in defending a £15M claim by the operators and owners of a distribution warehouse alleging that negligent design had caused the spread of a catastrophic fire.
Acting for design and build contractors on recovery claims against consultant engineers and specialist piling contractors in relation to a piling scheme in alluvial/running sands.
Advising design and build contractors in relation to a recovery claim against consultant engineers concerning a housing development on built on compressible peat where the hard landscaping and services “sank” but the houses did not.
Acting for claimant building owners in a claim against consulting building services engineers arising from a flood.
Acting for specialist M&E consultants in a claim arising out of the refurbishment of the Berkeley Hotel.
Acting for defendant site investigation consultants in the Panatown litigation.
Acting for defendant design engineers in a claim arising out of the design and construction of a fabricated steel walkway at Pembroke docks.
Acting for defendant design engineers in a claim arising out of the design of a coal injection plant installed at a major steel works.
Acting for defendant consultant engineers in a claim arising from the design and construction of an amenity lake as part of a land reclamation project in the Welsh valleys.
Acting for the defendant architects who had designed the Point West development.

“David Turner’s advice and work product are outstanding. He has a genuine awareness of commercial issues that arise between sophisticated entities.” “He is thorough and clear.” – Chambers & Partners, 2024

“David remains an impressive and quick-thinking KC. He is very client friendly, and provides incisive advice and has an impressive and diverse church of knowledge and experience to call upon in diverse situations.” – Legal 500, 2024

“David is very intelligent, extremely knowledgeable, and quickly sets the strategy in high-value, complex and novel cases.” “David is a very good insurance advocate.” “His submissions are well presented and compelling.” “Thinking on his feet, creating a road map, knowledge of the subject, domain expertise and general game awareness are the reasons why David Turner stands out for me.” – Chambers & Partners

“David is a very tactically astute practitioner.” – Chambers & Partners

“Very competent, professional and has real integrity. He is a real expert in relation to insurance and insurance brokers. His opponents significantly respect and admire him.” – Legal 500

“His technical expertise in dealing with multi-jurisdictional issues, crafting strategy and executing the agreed plan of action with a focused result in mind is very impressive.” “He’s very nice to deal with, very experienced and has Supreme Court cases under his belt.” – Chambers & Partners

“Advice is proffered in a confident, thoughtful and ordered manner. David is bright, thorough, commercially aware and strategic.” – Legal 500

“He is intellectually first-class and has unrivalled knowledge of insurance law.” – Legal 500

“Very pragmatic, technically brilliant and clients love him.” “He has a beautifully strategic mind.” – Chambers & Partners

“Very popular with clients and an absolute pleasure to work with.” – Legal 500

“Incredibly quick to respond with crystal-clear, practical advice and very popular with clients.” “Very user-friendly, clever and a pleasure to work with.” – Chambers & Partners

“Has an excellent analytical mind and is capable of dealing with intricate matters of detail and explaining them in a readily understandable form. He has an excellent grasp of the nuances of insurance law.” – Chambers & Partners

David is regularly instructed in a wide range of insurance and reinsurance work, arising out of property, professional indemnity, public and product and most other forms of liability policies. He is the editor/author of the chapter on Professional Indemnity Insurance in the current edition of Jackson & Powell on Professional Liability.

Featured Insurance & Reinsurance cases

Leading a team of counsel from 4 New Square for RSA in the FCA Test Case about the response of non-damage business interruption extensions to the COVID-19 pandemic
Acting for reinsurers in an international arbitration seated in the DIFC under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules
Advising an overseas insured on recovery of substantial Business Interruption losses following damage to gas pipelines
Acting for excess layer underwriters in respect of claims by generic pharmaceutical manufacturers/distributors under various patent infringement liability policies
Acting for insurers in a mega-arbitration seated in Mumbai under the IBA Rules, arising out of the construction of a 10.5 MMTPA oil refinery in Asia and involving claims for material damage and under an ALOP/DSU policy
Advising insurers for a major UK construction company as to coverage in relation to potential claims arising from the construction of a mechanical biological treatment plant under a major waste and recycling PFI contract in the North West of England
Advising a bank in relation to a claim under the Third Parties (Rights Against Insurers) Act 1930 arising out of an EPC sub-contract for a biomass fuelled power generation plant constructed pursuant to a PFI contract
Acting for public & product liability insurers in a Commercial Court dispute arising out of damage to glass furnace refractories in Kentucky
Acting for public liability insurers in defending a coverage claim arising out of a substantial fire in an aerospace factory
Advising property insurers in respect of policy response following the explosion of a marine waste oil tank in an overseas port
Acting for property owners in Part 8 proceedings against a contractor’s liability insurers concerning the scope of the contractor’s obligation to provide collateral warranties and the interrelationship between that obligation and an exclusion in the contractor’s policy
Acting in various PI insurance arbitrations concerning notification of circumstances to particular years of cover
Acting for insurers in an arbitration relating to the aggregation of 100s of claims under a PI policy
Advising PI insurers as to the application of the Special Institute Condition in respect of a claim arising out of a substantial commercial mortgage fraud in which an employee of the insured had played a pivotal role
Advising a major RTA insurer in relation to its motor accident recovery model
Advising major EL insurers in relation to its entitlements under a premium adjustment clause
Acting for property insurers in successfully defending a substantial claim in respect of the destruction of a domestic dwelling on grounds that the fire had been started at the direction of an insured and of breach of policy terms
Advising major EL insurers in relation to policy triggers for mesothelioma claims
Acting for Part 20 Claimant seeking contribution from Lloyd’s in Commercial Court litigation arising out of failure to include exclusion within a quotation for Italian medical malpractice cover
Acting for fraudulent receivables insurers on a successful application for summary judgment in Commercial Court against Insured on limitation grounds, notwithstanding the Insured’s arguments as to waiver and estoppel
Advising a firm of accountants on the scope of the FSA 86 exclusion in the ICAEW minimum wording
Acting for insurers in successfully defending claims with aggregate value of £5M brought under PA policies by Southampton Football Club and Blackburn Rovers Football Club following disablement of players
Advising professional indemnity insurers in relation to PA LMX Spiral claims
Acting for reinsurers in defending claims made by the reinsureds for non-payment under various reinsurance treaties
Advising in relation to a claim by German reinsurers against French reinsurance agents concerning business written through the London market under various binding authorities
Acting for public liability insurers in their successful defence of claims brought under the 1930 Act by former pupils of a special school at which they alleged they had been victims of sexual abuse
Advising professional indemnity insurers in respect of policy response where Insured brokers had placed “phantom cover” with underwriting agents
Advising professional indemnity insurers in relation to construction-related claims exceeding £100M made on underlying insurances in respect of a large number of separate projects
Defending a 1930 Act claim against the professional indemnity insurers of a firm of accountants on the grounds that the policy was voidable for fraudulent non-disclosure notwithstanding the innocent non-disclosure provisions
Advising professional indemnity insurers in relation to recovery from reinsurers which had purportedly avoided their reinsurance contracts
Acting for defendant property damage insurers in a £10-million claim arising out of fire damage, where the dispute centred on the incorporation of warranties/suspensive conditions
Acting for property damage insurers in a variety of claims where insurers avoided for pre-inception non-disclosure of adverse moral or physical hazard
Acting for all risks insurers of a Train Operating Company in resisting a claim arising out of the Sandy derailment, where the dispute centred on the incorporation of terms on renewal and whether the exception relied upon by Insurers was unenforceable on the grounds of repugnancy
Advising as to the definition of “damage” under a CAR project policy where work was delayed by inclement weather
Acting for Insurers in defending a variety of property claims on the grounds of fraud on the part of the Insured including but not limited to arson and the use of fraudulent means or devices to support a claim
Advising Insurers as to the extent of cover, definition of damage and operation of standard exclusions in respect of a claim under a Product Liability policy concerning faulty printed circuit boards incorporated into mobile phones.

“David provides practical and commercial solutions.” – Chambers & Partners

“Incredible legal intellect coupled with first-rate tactical approach.” – Legal 500

“A brilliant technician and tactician.” – Chambers & Partners

“Brilliant mind, excellent tactician and supreme knowledge of the law.” – Legal 500

“A very pugnacious effective advocate.” “He’s beloved by clients and has a very impressive practice.” – Chambers & Partners

“Controls the most complex of cases with thorough tactical oversight and never misses trick.” – Legal 500

“David is in a class of his own for legally complex contractual, construction and product liability claims.” – Chambers & Partners

“He is an excellent performer, with an absolutely incredible eye for detail.” – Chambers & Partners

“Provides prompt, no-nonsense advice.” – Legal 500

“Has an extraordinary work ethic and shows great attention to detail. He is good at getting judges to listen.” “Extremely clever and can turn his mind to anything.” – Chambers & Partners

“He is very, very good indeed. He gets to the detail in a way which we all dream of doing. There is no part of a case which he does not familiarise himself with. There are no corners cut, he has everything at his fingertips in court.” – Chambers & Partners

Recognised as a leading Silk in this area by the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners, David has extensive experience of commercial product liability disputes, often involving fire.

Featured Product Liability cases

acting for the claimants in a claim against major pharmaceutical companies under a Group Litigation Order relating to the safety of childhood vaccines
acting for concrete suppliers in the defence of claims arising from the supply of allegedly defective concrete
acting for aggregate suppliers in the defence of claims arising from the supply of contaminated aggregate for use in a major construction project
advising property insurers and cargo owners on recovery following a significant warehouse fire at London Heathrow
successfully defending Hoover against £1M claim following the destruction of a farm house allegedly caused by a defective washing machine
£multi-million claim by a distribution organisation following the destruction of a depot as a result of fire originating in a trailer’s refrigeration unit
acting for the defendant suppliers of a component which caused a fire at a chemical plant in Sweden
acting for the defendant suppliers of an air conditioning assembly alleged to have caused extensive flooding and damage to a major bank’s computer systems
acting for the defendant suppliers of insulation material alleged to have caused a fire in cooking extract ductwork
acting for the defendant manufacturers of combination boilers which failed in service in accommodation designed for elderly people
advising the manufacturer of studio quality sound-mixing desks in relation to a claim against a supplier of defective PSUs sold with the desks
acting for the defendant manufacturers of capacitors fitted in PSUs which had a tendency to combust
defending designers/suppliers of a state of the art industrial defrosting machine against £100-million pound claim arising from the destruction of factory by fire (the Sun Valley Fire)
defending suppliers of foam material alleged to cause the delamination of the decking of fast patrol boats supplied to the Jordanian Navy.

“David is very strong technically with a high level of service and speed of turnaround.” “I have found his tactics and strategy really move the dial. He is extremely sensible but incredibly brave.” – Chambers & Partners, 2024

“David is exceptionally able, focused and clear. As an advocate he does not waste words and is realistic about the strengths and weaknesses of his case.” – Legal 500, 2024

“Incredibly decisive; once he decides on a strategy he goes for it.” – Chambers & Partners

“He really is fantastic. He’s extremely thorough, and a brilliant technician and tactician.” – Chambers & Partners

“A good advocate; he is intelligent and approachable.” – Legal 500

“Very bright and just the man for the job when you need a rottweiler.” “David is very intelligent and extremely knowledgeable, and quickly takes a strategic view on a case, setting it off in the right direction from the start. Clients love him and he is very responsive.” – Chambers & Partners

“He is a strong and incisive advocate.” – Legal 500

“He’s very, very intelligent and we turn to him for technical things like coverage issues.” “He is a tenacious opponent.” – Chambers & Partners

“He is an excellent cross-examiner.” – Legal 500

“He is exceptionally bright and quick to analyse complex professional negligence claims.” – Legal 500

“He is a very good academic brain and also one of the better commercial brains of the Bar. He doesn’t just think like a barrister, but puts himself in the shoes of the client too.” “He is hugely competent in professional negligence and indemnity insurance disputes, particularly accountancy cases.” – Chambers & Partners

“He is an excellent QC – very meticulous, thorough and measured.” “Impressive – he is very easy to work with, well prepared and takes a very pragmatic view.” – Chambers & Partners

“A superb courtroom performer and deadly cross-examiner; he is very quick-thinking on his feet with a measured style which earns the court’s trust.” – Legal 500

“He is commercially very astute and exceptionally good at grasping audit complexities extremely quickly.’ ‘He offers robust advice, and is a strategist extraordinaire.” – Chambers & Partners

David has extensive experience of a wide range of professional liability disputes and has consistently been recommended as a leader in the field by Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500.

Click on the appropriate link to see David’s experience in the relevant professional field.

David has wide experience of claims against accountants, and has developed something of a niche practice in relation to claims arising out of tax planning advice (both bespoke and more widely marketed strategies).

Featured cases

Acting for a top-10 firm of accountants in FRC disciplinary proceedings relating to the audit of a plc and its subsidiaries
Acting for the accountants on appeal to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court relating to the measure of recoverable loss, raising issues of res inter alios acta, equitable subrogation and so-called “transferred loss” (Lowick Rose LLP v. Swynson Ltd [2017] UKSC 32)
Acting for audit client in a claim against its auditors arising out defalcations exceeding £1.35M by an employee
Acting for auditors in defending a claim arising out of the collapse of a car dealership
Acting for auditors in defending a £6M claim arising out the collapse of an employee relocation business
Defending major firms of accountants against claims arising out of various film partnership schemes of up to £20M in value
Defending major firm of accountants against £3M claim arising from abortive implementation of an EIS scheme
Advising major firm of accountants in relation to claims arising from transfers of assets into capital redemption contracts
Defending HLB Kidsons against £18M claim in the Evolution Films Group Litigation (film partnerships) and leading for HLB Kidsons at trial of its Part 20 claims
Advising liquidators of a listed company on the prospects of a claim against VAT advisers
Advising major firm of accountants in relation to claims arising from scheme to create and market trust/capital losses
Advising major firm of accountants on the recoverable measure of loss where acquisition of company followed negligent tax advice
Defending a major firm of accountants against a £multi-million claim relating to the use of a BES company as a wrapper to eliminate accrued CGT liabilities, including deployment of an ex turpi causa defence alleging a fraud on the Inland Revenue.
Defending the auditors of a listed company against a claim arising from alleged fraud on company by chief executive
Acting for defendant accountants and auditors in relation to a claim brought in Cyprus by third-party purchasers of a UK company
Defending a major firm of accountants against a substantial claim by a firm of solicitors that the accountants had negligently failed to detect that one of the solicitors’ employees was embezzling money
Defending auditors against a claim brought by the purchasers of a stake in a commodities trading company

David has extensive experience of professional negligence claims against construction professionals.

Featured cases

Acting for M&E consultants/contractors in a £6M claim arising out of the design and construction of the London Fire Brigade’s training facility
Acting for defendant structural engineers in defending a £15M claim by the operators and owners of a distribution warehouse alleging that negligent design had caused the spread of a catastrophic fire
Acting for design and build contractors on recovery claims against consultant engineers and specialist piling contractors in relation to a piling scheme in alluvial/running sands
Advising design and build contractors in relation to a recovery claim against consultant engineers concerning a housing development on built on compressible peat where the hard landscaping and services “sank” but the houses did not
Acting for claimant building owners in a claim against consulting building services engineers arising from a flood
Acting for specialist M&E consultants in a claim arising out of the refurbishment of the Berkeley Hotel
Acting for defendant site investigation consultants in the Panatown litigation
Acting for defendant design engineers in a claim arising out of the design and construction of a fabricated steel walkway at Pembroke docks
Acting for defendant design engineers in a claim arising out of the design of a coal injection plant installed at British Steel’s Port Talbot works
Acting for defendant consultant engineers in a claim arising from the design and construction of an amenity lake as part of a land reclamation project in the Welsh valleys
Acting for the defendant architects who had designed the Point West development.

Much of David’s work in this area is closely related to his “pure” insurance and reinsurance practice.

Featured cases

Acting for an international bank in a claim against its brokers based on the inclusion of a retroactive date in the bank’s professional indemnity cover
Defending reinsurance brokers from a claim arising from the alleged incorporation of a claims notification condition into the reinsurance slip policy
Defending an intermediary against claim by underwriters arising out of the failure of Lloyd’s to include an exclusion clause within a quotation for Italian medical malpractice cover
Defending coverholders against claims by insured and insurers arising out of a PA scheme for professional footballers
Acting for producing brokers in an action arising out of the placement of hull cover for a fleet of pleasure boats
Advising in connection with the potential liability of sub-brokers to underwriters arising from the operation of a line slip
Acting for defendant producing brokers in an action to which the insured, placing brokers, underwriting agents and insurers were also party, involving allegations of failure to place cover, non-disclosure and failure to notify the insured of relevant policy terms
Advising a cedant in relation to the potential liability of reinsurance brokers arising from the alleged non-disclosure of material facts prior to inception of various reinsurance contracts
Advising in relation to the Northern Ireland “phantom” EL cover claims
Acting on behalf of brokers in a variety of claims where Insurers had avoided for non-disclosure (normally of moral hazard) and the Insureds were seeking to pass claims (which were typically fraudulent) onto their brokers

David is experienced in claims against lawyers including claims relating to commercial disputes, property transactions, the conduct of proceedings and the provision of door of court advice.

Featured cases

Defending solicitors against claims for accessory liability for breach of trust in relation to various property transactions
Advising on possible claims against former solicitors arising out of the supply of defective LNG carriers
Acting for solicitors in successfully defending a claim by a property developer arising out of an unsuccessful attempt to acquire and develop the ground of Wrexham Athletic Football Club
Acting in relation to cross-claims between successive firms of solicitors for contribution towards aggregate £2M settlement with former clients arising out of the drafting of standard terms and conditions of trading
Successfully defending a firm of solicitors in a case resulting from the dismissal (on procedural grounds) of an earlier US$77.5M claim against BAe arising out of the sale of passenger aircraft to a Portuguese airline
Acting for the solicitors of Oasis at first instance (Gray J) and in the Court of Appeal in their successful defence (on limitation grounds) of the claim brought by Tony McCarroll asserting that the solicitors had been negligent in the drafting of the Band’s recording agreement with Sony
Advising on “loss of chance” claim against solicitors who allowed claim against tax advisers to become statute barred
Striking out a claim against a firm of solicitors brought by a convicted rapist alleging wrongful conviction
Acting for solicitors in successfully resisting an application for wasted costs on the grounds that they negligently allowed leading and junior counsel to maintain an improper allegation of forgery at trial
Acting for a leading IP silk in relation to a claim that he had negligently compromised an action at the door of court
Acting for claimants in relation to defendant solicitors’ negligent failure to renew statutory tenancy under Part II of the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954
Acting for claimant legal expenses insurer and insured in a claim against solicitors who allowed an underlying claim to become statute-barred.

David’s experience in this area includes:

Defending UK aircraft appraisers against US$20M claim arising out of the valuation of passenger aircraft which were used to secure a loan by a US lender to a German SPV company established to acquire the aircraft from (and lease them back to) the German manufacturer
Defending a firm of surveyors against claim arising out of alleged underinsurance of client’s property following provision of a reinstatement cost assessment
Acting for a claimant lending bank in a claim against the valuers of a portfolio of licensed premises, in which the issues included breach of fiduciary duty arising from the Borrower’s PVA (of which the Bank was ignorant but to which the valuer was a party) and the applicability of the SAAMCO cap
Acting for defendant commercial valuers in respect of the valuation of a portfolio of petrol stations in the Midlands
Acting on behalf of lenders in a major mortgage scheme mismanagement claim
Acting for claimants and defendants in a wide variety of “chain of enquiry” cases

David has put his experience from more than 17 years of service as a reservist to use by appearing on a pro bono basis for families at inquests into military deaths in Afghanistan and under training in the UK. One of the Afghanistan inquests raised substantial issues as to the engagement and application of Article 2 of the ECHR in relation to the death of a soldier from an IED attack at a British-run training facility. David also appeared for the widow of a soldier who died after sustaining exertional heat injury on a special forces selection exercise in the Brecon Beacons.

David is willing to consider being instructed on the same basis for military families at inquests into deaths on operational service or under training.

David has been instructed on some of the largest property damage cases in the last 20 years, normally acting on behalf of insurers (either defending a party insured under a liability cover or seeking a recovery of insurers’ outlay). Past instructions include the notorious Sun Valley fire case and acting for the lead claimants in the Buncefield litigation.

More recently, David has been instructed in relation to the destruction of the largest power station in Cyprus following the explosion at the “Evangelos Vasilikos” naval base in 2011, and the destruction by fire of a major warehouse at Heathrow Airport in 2010.

Featured Property Damage cases

Defending a claim by factory owners against the suppliers of an appliance alleged to have been the seat of a fire which caused widespread damage to the factory
Advising in relation to the Evangelos Florakis naval base explosion in Cyprus
Advising warehouse owners following a major fire in a warehouse at Heathrow airport
Acting for public liability insurers in defending a coverage claim arising out of a substantial fire in an aerospace factory
Acting for the owner/operator of a waste recycling facility in a claim arising from fire damage to the plant during the course of modifications
Advising on recovery rights against the police following the 2011 London Riots
Acting for the main group of property owner claimants in the Buncefield litigation following the major explosion at the Hertfordshire Oil Storage Depot in December 2005
Defending Hoover against a claim following the destruction of a farmhouse by a fire alleged to have been seated in a washing machine
Acting for Safeway in a claim against McAlpine following the destruction of a store due to the uncontrolled spread of a fire through the store’s roof void
Acting for design and build contractors on recovery claims against consultant engineers and specialist piling contractors in relation to a piling scheme in alluvial/running sands
Acting for a major building society in a recovery claim against document storage warehouse owners following the destruction of the warehouse – and thousands of title deeds held as security – in a fire caused by arson
Advising design and build contractors in relation to a recovery claim against consultant engineers concerning a housing development on built on compressible peat where the hard landscaping and services “sank” but the houses did not
Acting for defendant M&E contractors in a claim relating to corrosion of chilled water pipework
Advising the owners of a retail outlet damaged by fire on a recovery claim against the owners of the neighbouring property from which the fire had spread
Acting for defendant structural engineers in defending a claim by the operators and owners of a food distribution warehouse alleging that negligent design had caused the spread (via aluminium-faced, foam cored, sandwich insulation panels) of a catastrophic fire
Acting for building contractors in defending a claim following the “Burger King” fire at Terminal 1 of Heathrow Airport in December 1997
Subrogated recovery claim in name of a retail warehouse owner against owners of an adjoining warehouse whose waste was set on fire by arsonists
Defending designers/suppliers of a state of the art industrial defrosting machine against £100-million pound claim arising from the destruction of factory by fire following its spread through the building via aluminium-faced, foam cored, sandwich insulation panels (the Sun Valley Fire)
Defending electrical contractors against a £25m claim arising from the destruction by fire of a large office building (the Digital / Capital & Counties Fire)

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Contact details

d.turner@4newsquare.com

VAT number: 627295519

ICO number: Z4730079

Clerk: Alex Dolby

a.dolby@4newsquare.com

+442078222036

+447912405151

Accreditations

Legal 500
“A superb courtroom performer and deadly cross-examiner; he is very quick-thinking on his feet with a measured style which earns the court’s trust.”

Chambers & Partners
“He is commercially very astute and exceptionally good at grasping audit complexities extremely quickly.”

Chambers & Partners
“His real strength is being able to cut through all the rubbish to get to the relevant point extremely quickly.”

Chambers & Partners
“Incredibly knowledgeable, practical and commercial.”

M.A. (Cambridge) Dip Law (City University)

Member of COMBAR, TECBAR and PNBA

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David Turner KC

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Clerk: Alex Dolby

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Wider experience

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The Legal 500 Bar Awards 2024 – 22 nominations for 4 New Square Chambers

Nine of 4 New Square’s members feature across four of the Lawyers Top Cases to watch in 2022

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Clerk: Alex Dolby

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4 New Square E-Bundling Guide

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David Turner KC

Contact details

Clerk: Alex Dolby

Publications

Wider experience

Privacy Policy

Areas of expertise

International Arbitration

Commercial Dispute Resolution

Construction & Engineering

Insurance & Reinsurance

Product Liability

Professional Liability

Accountants, Auditors & Actuaries

Construction Professionals

Insurance Brokers & Agents

Lawyers

Surveyors & Valuers

Public Law and Human Rights

Property Damage

Related News & Judgements

The Legal 500 Bar Awards 2024 – 22 nominations for 4 New Square Chambers

Nine of 4 New Square’s members feature across four of the Lawyers Top Cases to watch in 2022

Contact details

Clerk: Alex Dolby

Accreditations

Qualifications & Memberships

Related Articles & Publications

Assignment or charge over warranty and indemnity insurance policies as security?

4 New Square E-Bundling Guide

If you would like to know more or have a question please talk to our clerks

Call

Email

4 New Square Chambers

Sign up to our mailing list

Search