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Professional negligence lawyers

When expert advice goes wrong, we’re here for you. We can help you bring a claim to recover any loss or damage you’ve suffered.

We all rely on professional advice from time to time. From instructing a solicitor, to selling your home, to hiring an accountant to guide your business, we put our trust in their expert advice to get results.

However, it’s not always plain sailing – and the advice you receive may not be up to standard, resulting in loss or damage. In cases like these, you might be able to bring a professional negligence claim to recover the loss.

Working out if you have a claim

Whether your professional adviser has acted negligently is a legal test – and you’ll need to consider whether the outcome you’ve achieved is different from what you were told, or if it has resulted in a financial or other loss.

What types of claim do we deal with?

Our professional negligence lawyers have years of experience helping our clients to resolve claims against all kinds of professional advisers, including:

  • Accountants’ negligence claims
  • Architects’ negligence claims
  • Financial mis-selling
  • Group action claims
  • Solicitors’ negligence claims
  • Surveyors’ negligence claims

How our professional negligence lawyers can help

We’ll handle your dispute with sensitivity and patience. We listen to your instructions with care and with your circumstances in mind we will arrange payment terms in a way that suits you. Our highly rated professional negligence team will endeavour to resolve your claim as quickly and smoothly as possible. We are able to resolve most claims without the need for court proceedings, however if litigation is required our lawyers fight with tenacity to achieve our clients’ objectives.

Working together

When it comes to working together, we can meet via video conference, at any of our offices, or at your home or workplace. No matter where you’re based, we’ll work in the way that suits you best.

Types of claims

Accountants’ negligence claims
An accountant’s duties to his or her client will normally include following instructions, giving sound advice, identifying fraud, claiming available tax reliefs, valuing assets correctly and ensuring figures are accurate. Accountants may also be asked to advise on complex schemes, for example those concerning tax planning, pensions, offshore trusts or film partnership schemes. If your accountant has given incorrect advice or otherwise breached their duty of care and you have lost money as a result, you could bring a claim against your accountant for negligence. As accountant negligence claims are complex, if you believe you have a claim against your accountant, it is vital to consult expert solicitors at the outset.

Architects’ negligence claims
Architects not only design buildings, they are also often responsible for supervising the construction phase. It can be very costly when architects make mistakes. Design errors, defective buildings, ignoring legal requirements and using unsuitable materials, can all require expensive remedial work. Architects owe their clients a duty of care and you can make a claim when their services do not meet the expected standard.

Financial mis-selling
We have specific expertise in the financial services sector, know the regulations inside out, and can settle your claim quickly and effectively. The UK financial services sector is highly regulated so advice must comply with strict rules. If you have been recommended a financial product like a pension, investment scheme or business loan, it must be ‘suitable’ for your needs at the time of purchase. Financial products must be described clearly and not mislead customers in any way. Determining whether advisers have given inappropriate advice requires a thorough understanding of your individual circumstances. This is where our specialist financial mis-selling team can help and will advise on financial advice, pension products, investment schemes, FX hedging products, insurance and secured lending. We will listen to you carefully, assess whether regulations were breached, and represent you robustly if there’s a case to answer. Our experienced team are leaders in the field and will always present your claim in the most compelling manner. If you’re concerned about the cost of pursuing your claim, we offer a range of funding options that meet your particular needs and circumstances.

Group action claims
Our team have particular expertise acting for groups of investors who have lost money on high risk or fraudulent investment products. Most firms who deal with ‘group action’ claims are either instructed by indemnity insurance companies from a defendant perspective or do not have the expertise to handle claims of this scale and complexity. We are unique in offering a high level of expertise in multi-party actions combined with a purely claimant focus.

Solicitors’ negligence claims
Like all professionals, solicitors make mistakes. This could be by giving you incorrect advice, failing to advise on the cost and risk of a particular course of action or failing to meet a Court deadline or a limitation date. If your solicitor has made a mistake which has resulted in loss or damage, you can bring a solicitors negligence claim.

Surveyors’ negligence claims
Before investing in a property, you will normally seek the advice of a surveyor or structural engineer. They owe their clients a duty of care and, if the advice is negligent, for example if it fails to identify problems with the property, provides an inaccurate value, fails to properly reflect the boundary or fails to alert you to environmental or other underlying problems, this can lead to significant losses. If your surveyor or structural engineer were negligent and you suffered loss or damage as a result, you can claim against them.

Key contacts

 Pradeep Oliver

Partner
Professional negligence

Tristam Razzell

Senior Associate
Professional negligence

Sophie Walsh

Associate
Will, trust and probate disputes

Meet more of the team

Our professional negligence experience

Acting for client against their IFA for negligent advice to transfer out of a final salary pension scheme into a high risk investment portfolio held in a self-invested personal pension.

Acting for ultra high net worth client in an action against their previous accountants for negligent advice relating to an offshore trust.

Acting for a successful UK company in a claim against accountants and tax advisors for negligent advice relating to a remuneration trust tax mitigation scheme.

Acted for a private client in bringing an action against accountants and tax advisers for negligent advice to invest in a bio fuel factory tax mitigation scheme.

Advised a group of 40 claimants in bringing a claim against a well-known firm of solicitors.

Acted on behalf of a group of 87 clients in a claim against a mini-bond provider for the mis-selling of a mini-bond.

How we made a difference

Cripps have a very personal approach where you are actively encouraged to discuss all aspects of the legal matter.

They have the breadth to pull expertise across all areas I have needed.

Legal 500 2024

Very experienced in professional negligence claims.

Legal 500 2024

‘The solicitors are our ‘go-to’ lawyers.’

Legal 500 2024

‘This team is always available when I need them, friendly and approachable.’

Legal 500 2024

Pradeep Oliver is a very bright, astute and robust litigator with a great deal of professional negligence experience and expertise. He takes no prisoners.'

Legal 500 2021

The practitioners are highly experienced, which puts them at an advantage to other firms. They are highly practical and efficient and great with clients.

Legal 500 2020

It's a really impressive team. They kept me in the loop at all times and were honest and upfront from the beginning.

Legal 500 2020

I can't give them a better reference; they were simply brilliant.

Legal 500 2020

Pradeep Oliver has always struck me as everything you would want in a claimant lawyer - knowledgeable in his field, on top of the details, committed to his clients and, above all, extremely sensible when it came to negotiating the right settlement.'

Legal 500 2021

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Awards and accreditations

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