Sometimes professionals just get it wrong

Written by Richard Cooper

Richard Cooper, Senior Associate, in our Disputes Resolution & Litigation Team said:

“If you consider that you have suffered financial harm at the hands of your professional advisor, it is best to act sooner rather than later. Often, matters are not as bad as they seem, and many holes can be gotten out of. Where they cannot, we will work tirelessly with you to bring a professional negligence claim to recover the losses that you ought not to have sustained.”

From time to time we all need to obtain good professional advice . Unfortunately, sometimes the professional just gets it wrong! We are all human after all! Let’s face it you pay good money for solid advice you expect to be right, but sometimes it goes very wrong and you are left not knowing what to do.

Where things go wrong as a consequence of the professional’s advice, or even a failure to advise, then you may have a claim against them for negligence if their actions have caused you loss.

RLK’s team have significant experience of bringing claims against many professional disciplines, from legal professionals (solicitors and barristers), financial professionals (accountants, tax advisors, IFAs) to insurance brokers. Some of the claims have been substantial running to many millions of pounds, but even where claims are for more modest amounts the team acts with GRIT to get the best result for you.

RLK’s experience in bringing professional negligence claims means that we have good contacts with experts, barristers, and insurers to build a team behind you to successfully bring your claim.

Following an assessment of your case RLK may be prepared to act for you on a “no-win, no-fee agreement,” meaning that RLK only get paid if you are successful.

RLK team members have been involved in numerous types of professional negligence claims. Examples include:

• Failure of solicitors to report fully on matters found in property searches / answers to sellers’ enquiries with the result that the property was worth less than the price paid.
• Failure of solicitors to sever a joint tenancy upon breakdown of a relationship meaning that in the circumstances of an unexpected death the property passed to the co-owner contrary to the wishes of the deceased.
• The failure of solicitors and accountants acting on the purchase of company for £17.5 million to take steps to check that the agreed surplus cash to be used as working capital, and as a condition of the corporate finance, was present in the company on completion. The claim was in excess of £17.5 million.
• Acting for a Building Society in bringing claims against valuers for undervaluing various commercial properties against which funds had been secured.
• Acting for a group of 62 claimants whose shares under an employee share scheme had been negligently undervalued by the company’s accountants when the accountants had both the knowledge that the Company was due float with a share price at 10 times the value that was prescribed to their shares.
• A failure of solicitors to take steps to prevent a matrimonial home registered in the sole name of the husband from being sold without the wife’s involvement and the husband leaving the jurisdiction with the entirety of the proceeds of sale.
• A failure of solicitors to register the differing beneficial interest in the property in accordance with the clients’ instructions, creating a presumption of equal ownership.
• Negligence claim against solicitors for not ensuring that the bank’s consent was obtained to the granting of a commercial lease. The bank’s subsequent possession proceedings resulted in losses to the tenant in excess of £450,000 where they had no choice but to vacate.
• Various claims against solicitors involved in litigation where limitation periods or court deadlines have been missed causing loss.

If poor professional advice or services have caused financial loss, our professional negligence solicitors can help. To arrange an appointment, make an enquiry or request a call back, please contact us.