Contact Details
Stephen has over 25 years of experience resolving issues and disputes for all sizes of businesses and private individuals. He delivers cost-effective, outcome-driven solutions which foster long-term client relationships.
He advises and supports a wide range of clients, specialising in specific domains such as commercial and contract disputes, material damage (including flood, fire, subsidence, landslip, theft, and impact), product liability, professional risks, as well as volume damage recovery programmes covering highways infrastructure, buildings, and vehicles.
Work highlights and recent cases:
- Overturning convictions and securing several millions of pounds of compensation for many Sub-Postmasters who were the victims of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal.
- Cross-jurisdictional product dispute on behalf of a major UK food manufacturer
- Professional negligence action against the auditors of a logistics company
- Recovery action against a major waste disposal company for the delivery of contaminated waste to a client’s facility (live ammunition)
- Supply chain dispute following the supply of contaminated food ingredients to a major UK restaurant group
- Group litigation for 22 residents following a landslip arising from neighbouring construction work in Rochdale
- Defending a major supermarket chain against 56 residents’ claims for nuisance following the construction and operation of a supermarket in Liverpool
- Acting on behalf of a global drinks manufacturer following the recall of promotional tea mugs in the packaging in a multi-million-pound action against the product supplier
- Defending a hoist manufacturer in a £1.5m action arising from catastrophic injury by the end user
- Defending a major construction company in an action by a local authority following the failure of a sewer upgrade scheme
- Acted for a District Council in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court against a major insurer for refusing to pay out on an employee asbestos exposure claim
- Defended and counterclaimed in the Commercial Court on behalf of an animal by-products processor for losses claimed by European chemical manufacturers
- Developing and managing infrastructure damage recovery programmes on behalf of several major construction highways companies and local authorities
Key Reported Cases:
Jones v. Twinsectra. Reference: [2002] EWCA Civ 668 Court of Appeal
(Solicitor / own client costs dispute as to venue of Detailed Assessment)
JG Pears (Newark) Ltd v Omega Proteins Limited [2009] EWHC 1070 Commercial Court
(Commercial contractual chain dispute)
MMI v Zurich, Adur District Council and 9 others UKSC 2011/0028 (High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court)
(EL Policy trigger litigation. Acted for Adur District Council throughout)