Insurance disputes

When individuals and businesses suffer substantial losses, they will often rely on their own insurance policies, and those of third parties, to meet those losses. Unfortunately, disputes often arise about whether particular events or losses are covered by the relevant insurance policy and the way in which the insurer has handled the claim.

Whether you have significant experience of dealing with insurance disputes or this is your first experience of litigation or dispute resolution, we can help you achieve your commercial objectives and minimise the impact of the dispute on your finances and business.

We have extensive experience in advising individuals and businesses on coverage and quantum disputes with insurers. We help resolve insurance disputes through negotiation and alternative dispute resolution, and have pursued claims robustly for our clients in complex insurance cases in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court and through arbitration procedures. We have a particular specialism in professional indemnity insurance. 

We can help you with:

• business interruption insurance claims resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic
• disputes concerning the scope of cover under professional indemnity insurance policies
• solicitor insurance terms subject to the SRA Minimum Terms and Conditions, including aggregation issues
• disputes concerning when claims were first made and therefore which insurer is on risk
• the application of dishonesty exclusions and condoning by partners or co-directors
• coverage disputes under directors and officers (D&O) liability policies
• claims against the insurers of insolvent defendants under the Third Parties (Rights against Insurers) Act 2010 and/or Third Parties (Rights against Insurers) Act 1930
• disputes arising from the insurer’s handling of third-party claims
• regulatory issues arising from effecting or carrying out contracts of insurance
• claims under general insurance policies, construction insurance policies and new build warranties for claims arising from defective works, water ingress and subsidence

We work closely with clients to deliver a service tailored to the size and complexity of each case. We provide practical and commercial legal advice to achieve the best outcome for each dispute. Where possible we resolve disputes at an early stage through the use of alternative dispute resolution. Where litigation is unavoidable, we pursue and defend claims robustly on our clients' behalf, utilising appropriate funding arrangements.

We also recognise that you have wider objectives beyond your immediate dispute. As a full-service law firm, we look to build long term strategic relationships with our clients and draw on the full range of experience across the firm. We work alongside our colleagues to not only help you respond to your existing disputes and challenges, but also proactively manage your risks and prevent problems arising in the future. This means that we’re able to address and advise on the broader issues that may arise in the course of a dispute, and leave you better placed to pursue additional opportunities in the future.

We also provide a legal support service to help businesses supplement their in-house resources. This then allows our clients to get instant advice from a trusted adviser at an early stage.

Our team consists of specialist solicitors who are members of the London Solicitors Litigation Association and Association of Regulatory & Disciplinary Lawyers. 

Russell-Cooke is a signatory to the Greener Litigation Pledge.

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Charges are usually based on our hourly rates plus administrative charges and disbursements. We’ll provide an initial estimate of your likely legal costs and will update this if your requirements or the circumstances of the work change.

We also have a flexible and innovative approach to litigation funding which enables us to offer our clients, in appropriate cases, a series of funding choices tailored to their particular requirements. For further information please read our commercial litigation funding information page.