Our team are specialists in acting for those pursuing a claim for professional negligence. We have acted in some of the most complex and high value claims to come before the Court of Session in recent years, representing our clients in claims against solicitors, accountants, financial advisers, insurance brokers, surveyors and bankers.
Our clients include financial institutions, funds, businesses of all sizes and private individuals.
We recognise the sensitivities which can be associated with making claims against former trusted advisers and have a strong track record of successfully resolving professional negligence claims by mediation.
Where court proceedings are required we are able to call upon some of the country’s most accomplished litigators to represent our clients throughout Scotland, within the Sheriff Courts and the Court of Session.
The partner-led team has strength in depth, and the team’s capability is enhanced by the expertise of Professor Robert Rennie, Scotland’s leading expert on professional negligence in conveyancing and property transactions. Robert is regularly instructed by litigants as an expert witness in professional negligence actions.
Professor Robert Rennie is regarded as Scotland’s leading expert on solicitors' negligence, having literally written the book on the subject.
Contact us
Thank you for your enquiry. Someone from our team will be in touch with you in due course.
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Professor Robert Rennie
Consultant
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Sandy Hastie
Partner
Key services
Our breath of experience includes advising and representing our clients in claims against:
- Solicitors
- Accountants
- Financial advisers
- Insurance brokers
- Surveyors
- Banks
Our key services include:
- Pre-litigation discussions
- Mediation
- Arbitration
- Adjudication
- Litigation
We regularly provide representation to our clients within:
- The Sheriff Courts (including commercial actions)
- The Court of Session (including the Commercial Court)
Harper Macleod LLP’s "highly pragmatic and flexible" team frequently acts for claimants pursuing professional negligence claims against banking and financial services, accountancy, surveyor, legal, architectural, construction and healthcare professionals.
THE LEGAL 500 2018
Work examples
Solicitors
We acted for our client in a multi-million pound claim for professional negligence against a major international law firm, arising from professional negligence in the due diligence associated with the sale of an offshore property investment trust.
Financial advisor
We acted in a claim for damages arising out of the allegedly negligent and fraudulent conduct of a financial adviser in relation to a property investment in the United States. The case involved allegations of negligence in relation to a prima facie “execution only” investment, and also significant cross jurisdictional issues.
Financial services
We acted for a high street bank in two high-value actions for professional negligence, against a firm of monitoring surveyors instructed by the bank to supervise a major construction project, and against another law firm in respect of sums the release of deeds of restriction in contravention of instructions.
Accountants
We represented partners of a company who had obtained advice from their accountants in both their individual and company capacities. The accountants had breached their duties of care to the company and both individuals and a loss was suffered directly attributable to these breaches. The advice given by the accountants stretched back for decades and only following our advice did the clients realise they had a claim.
Surveyors
We acted for liquidators of a lender against a firm of surveyors. The lender had relied on a valuation for the purposes of providing loan finance however when the borrower defaulted the subjects were sold for less than half that valuation. We secured a significant settlement sum plus expenses, allowing a substantially higher dividend to be paid to creditors.
Solicitors
We successfully acted for a client in the healthcare sector in a professional negligence action against a law firm arising out of the negligent conduct of an earlier commercial action.
Insurance
We acted in a substantial claim arising from negligent advice given by a firm of insurance brokers in relation to the purchase of a life assurance policy by our client’s late spouse.
Meet the professional negligence team
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