Described as ‘one of the big beasts in professional negligence’, Clyde & Co continues to advise construction and legal professionals as well as a range of insurer clients. Practice head Louisa Robbins leads the Manchester-based practice and has a wealth of experience handling claims against property and construction professionals, frequently overseeing pre-action and litigated claims. James Preece covers disciplinary claims and investigations against solicitors, barristers and their indemnity insurers, Ben Parks is well versed in policy coverage issues, including misrepresentation claims, while Martin Paxton is praised for his ‘considerable judgement and depth of knowledge’ in solicitor professional negligence claims.

DWF is adept in multi-party claims, primarily representing architects, engineers, solicitors, insurance brokers, managers, accountants and media consultants. The department also advises on various insurance policy mandates. Andrew MacLeod leads the team and is highly regarded for his expertise in the defence of claims made against insurers and their policyholders. Paul Dally has a broad client base and has vast knowledge in Third Party (Rights Against Insurers) Act claims, Mark Jenkyn-Jones assists insurers on policy coverage issues and Hilary Harrison has experience advising insurers on D&O and management liability insurance matters. The team was bolstered in 2024 with the arrival of Caitlin Richardson in March, before John Gibney joined the team from Weightmans LLP in May.

Kennedys defends a broad client roster, comprising professionals across law, construction, insolvency, auditing and insurance, with matters concerning negligence in relation to fire safety and design defects in the construction space, as well as various D&O liability coverage, policy coverage and monitoring matters. Four partners lead the professional liability team, with key names in Manchester including Claire Bushen, who is considered a ‘standout partner’ and advises solicitors and accountants, Tom Handley, who works primarily in the construction space and often defends architects before regulatory bodies, as well as Hannah Williams, who is well versed in policy coverage and D&O liability matters. Lucy Suddaby and Daniel Fairey are further key members of the practice.

Keoghs LLP houses a ‘first class collaborative team’ that is adept in defending claims bought against construction professionals, solicitors, brokers and insurers, including fire safety, cladding and defects claims in the construction sector, as well as various insurance coverage issues. Ruth Lawrence leads the team and is highly experienced in construction cases, while Christopher Stanton is a go-to name on insurance coverage matters, particularly those relating to solicitors' minimum terms and conditions. Sarah Naylor and Graham Taylor have a niche in advising veterinary professionals against claims, with clients describing the firm’s expertise as ‘second to none’. Jonathan Anslow regularly handles fire safety and cladding disputes against a range of professionals and Rachel Blair handles a variety of claims against solicitors, surveyors and brokers.

Mills & Reeve LLP defends a wide range of claims, and is recognised for its expertise in handling claims made against legal professionals, which include professional misconduct, unlawful victimisation and wasted costs claims. Further areas of focus include acting for construction professionals in complex disputes, representation of insurance brokers and in directors and officers claims. Ben Hardiman and Niall Innes jointly lead the practice, with Hardiman focusing on construction mandates- frequently relating to the cladding crisis- while Innes primarily handles claims against legal professionals. Emma Harrison and Sarah Rose are active members of the practice and both defend solicitors, barristers and insurance brokers against various cases.

The professional negligence team at Weightmans LLP is ‘outstanding from senior to junior members’.  The team specialises in high-value, multi-party claims against professionals in the construction sector often concerning fire safety and defects, while also regularly defending cases against legal professionals. Mickaela Fox, who is an expert in indemnity claims, and Mike Grant, who defends various construction and insurance claims, including through arbitration and mediation, jointly lead the practice. Further key members of the team include Alex Marler, who has a broad practice which includes advising on Third Parties (Rights Against Insurers) Act claims, Pamela Freeland who frequently assists major insurers in the sector and Sarah Irwin, who oversees claims in the construction and legal sectors.

Addleshaw Goddard has a strong track record representing claimants in solicitors’ negligence cases across various fields, including construction, business, pensions and financial services. The team also acts in claims made against a range of other professionals including trustees of pension schemes, insurance brokers, surveyors and construction professionals. Victoria Pool and Nick Ashcroft jointly lead the practice, with Pool acting for insurance policyholders in D&O, W&I and risks cover disputes, while Ashcroft excels in business-protection litigation. Pensions dispute expert Susan Garrett retired in June 2024.

Acting for major indemnity insurers, solicitors, construction professionals and media clients, DAC Beachcroft LLP has extensive experience defending against a broad range of professional negligence claims, including management liability claims, insolvency related matters, regulatory breaches and contract disputes. Practice head Ian McConkey has a broad practice in which he advises both traditional and emerging professionals and is noted for his ‘expertise in claims arising in a personal injury context’. Lyn Crawford is well versed in CAR and EAR claims, Harald Loeffler focuses on defending PI insurers against various technology and media claims, while Katy Giles specialises in defending claims made against legal professionals. Tom Bedford departed the practice in June 2024.

FS Litigation stands out due to its strong focus on construction, accounting, tax, pensions and financial services professional negligence matters, where the team acts for claimants. Kit Sorrell and Julia Norris jointly lead the practice and bring extensive experience in high-value commercial litigation and professional negligence matters to the ‘deeply specialised’ team. Nicola Stanley, Christine Newton and John Colvin are further names to note. Joshua Murphy left the team in August 2024, while Sunny Patel departed the outfit in January 2025.

Markel Law LLP is praised for its ability to handle ‘many different, complex, high value and unusual claims’, which often includes defending against product liability claims, recovery actions and policy coverage issues for insurers, while also defending professional negligence claims against solicitors, accountants and insurance brokers. Former practice head Christopher Burns left the practice in September 2024, while Gareth Pickup joined the team from Clyde & Co the following month in November 2024 and leads the practice alongside Mark Rankin. Rankin defends a plethora of claims against various insured professionals, namely solicitors, brokers, accountants and surveyors, while Pickup focuses on construction related property damage and product liability claims.

Myerson Solicitors has a strong professional negligence offering led by Suzanne Carr, where the team is adept in a range of claims made against surveyors, architects, solicitors, tax advisors and accountants. Additionally, the practice receives a significant number of instructions related to the negligent will drafting, trusts and estate administration. David Jones is a further name to note and is singled out by clients for his understanding of ‘professional negligence and the need to resolve problems’.