Three RPC lawyers have been recognised in this year's "Who's Who Legal: Professional Negligence 2020"

In its inaugural edition focused solely on Professional Negligence, three RPC partners Alex Anderson, Nick Bird and James Wickes have been recognised by leading legal practitioners and clients worldwide for their market-leading advice in relation to legal action involving alleged negligence or liability resulting from professional work undertaken.

The rankings can be accessed online. 

RPC's Professional Negligence team is ranked as Band 1 by Chambers' UK 2021 for Professional Negligence and Top-ranked (Tier 1) for Legal 500 UK 2021, continuing to be awarded the highest distinction in this category by both Legal Directories for many years now.

Alexander Anderson, partner – "Alexandra Anderson is “a delight to work with” and wins high praise from sources, one of whom notes, “I am able to settle at mediation whenever I have worked with her."

Alexandra is an insurance lawyer with particular expertise in both construction and surveyors’ claims. On the construction side, she acts predominantly for architects and engineers and has been involved in many complex and high-value disputes involving projects in the UK and worldwide, in litigation, adjudication and arbitration.

Alexandra also has a wealth of experience in acting for surveyors, both via their insurers and upon direct instructions. She has been involved in advising on and defending a wide variety of claims, arising from all aspects of the typical surveying practice, from survey and valuation to property management. She acts for many of the largest UK practices, and has led the successful defence of a number of valuation claims which now help define the law in this area, including K/S Lincoln and others v CB Richard Ellis Hotels Ltd and Titan v Colliers. She also works with the RICS on various risk management and education issues and sits on their residential cross-sector and market liaison groups.

Alexandra is a regular speaker and author on a wide range of topics affecting both construction professionals and surveyors, is co-editor of Hogarth’s ‘Insurance for the Construction Industry’ and was involved in the 2008, 2011 and 2016 revisions to the RICS minimum terms. She also chairs RPC’s Female Insurance Group, which puts women from across the insurance industry in touch with one another for support and professional development.

Nick Bird, partner - Nick Bird is distinguished as “top class for defendant solicitors' work” with extensive experience in high-value negligence claims.

Nick Bird is a partner in the London office of RPC where he is a member of the firm's award winning Insurance group. If you're in need of professional negligence, regulation, or coverage advice, Nick Bird is one of the leading lawyers in these areas. He undertakes the full range of professional negligence defence work for the leading accountancy and legal practices. He has particular expertise in claims arising out of banking, financial instruments, restructuring, structured finance, and swap transactions. He also has significant experience in defending claims and regulatory prosecutions arising out of allegations of conflicts and other breaches of fiduciary duty.

Nick was highly commended in the 2021 Legal 500 rankings for his 'encyclopaedic knowledge of the law and a forensic mind' and being 'a lawyer’s lawyer'. 

James Wickes, partner – "James Wickes is lauded as a “star” with an impressive practice, where he assists professionals in the finance sector facing negligence claims."

James Wickes is a partner in RPC's professional and financial risks group.

James specialises in defending claims against financial institutions and financial professionals. James is frequently involved in defending claims with an offshore or international dimension, including cross-border disputes. He specialises in disputes involving claims against directors & officers, corporate trustees/service providers, insurance brokers, wealth managers, asset managers, investment managers, fund managers, stockbrokers, tax advisors, pensions/SIPP administrators and collateral managers.

His recent work includes defending: a CEO and CFO of a City professional services firm in respect of a professional negligence claim relating to the financing of the business; a CFO of a global human resources company against a claim by their former employer for various alleged acts of negligence/breach of duty giving rise to a substantial profit restatement; and numerous claims (in court and arbitration across various jurisdictions, including Switzerland, France and the UK) against a collateral manager concerning the loss of a substantial amount of commodities in West Africa.

James also specialises in advising insurers/reinsurers on complex coverage disputes. His practice particularly involves advising financial and professional lines insurers in respect of claims under FI, PI, D&O, W&I and Crime / Fidelity insurance.

James has been recognised in The Lawyer's Hot 100 2016 and has also been named a next generation partner for both professional negligence and insurance litigation in the 2020 and 2021 Legal 500 UK rankings.

James is passionate about social mobility and co-founded his own careers guidance programme for students in Dagenham called Limitless London.