Sarah Foster, partner and joint head of department
Specialises in professional indemnity and contentious trust and probate matters for private individuals. She has over 10 years' experience of dealing with claims made against professionals: to include solicitors, engineers, surveyors, accountants, brokers and others. She also advises insurers on policy coverage. Arising out of that work, she also deals with a wide range of disputes involving wills (including undue influence and mental capacity claims); complex applications under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 and constructive trust and estoppel claims.
Sarah trained at Lovells in London and qualified in 1994. After a time at Wansbroughs in London and then Crutes in Newcastle, she joined Henmans in 1999. She was made a partner in 2003.
Duncan Crine, partner and joint head of department
Handles insurance disputes and professional risks. He specialises in claims involving professionals, including solicitors, barristers, surveyors, property and financial professionals. He is experienced in both conventional and managed group litigation, as well as all forms of ADR, including arbitration and mediation. Particular areas of interest include the handling of sensitive and complex high-value claims including dishonesty cases. He frequently provides policy advice and handles disputes arising from coverage issues.
He qualified in 1991 and joined Wansbroughs Willey Hargrave (later Beachcroft Wansbroughs) in 1992, where he became a partner in 2000. He joined Henmans as a partner in 2006.
Specialises in professional negligence and other commercial litigation. He also has a construction practice based on his professional indemnity work for surveyors, architects and engineers, and has specialist expertise in marine law.
Andrew trained at Whiteside and Knowles and qualified in 1996. Andrew was a partner at Coles Miller until he joined Henmans in 2005 as an associate. He was made a partner at Henmans in 2007.
Acts for professional indemnity insurers for a range of professionals. She also has experience of construction work and has acted for surveyors, architects and engineers. In addition she provides advice on policy issues.
Katherine trained at Herbert Smith and qualified in 1998. On qualification, she remained at Herbert Smith, gaining experience in insurance litigation and in particular claims against insurance brokers. She joined Henmans in 2000 and was made a partner in 2007.
Acts predominantly for insurers on a range of professional indemnity matters and has particular expertise in defending claims against solicitors, accountants, architects, design engineers and utility companies. His clients also include commercial companies such as motor vehicle manufacturers.
Philip trained at Weightmans where he qualified in 2001 doing professional indemnity work. He joined Henmans in November 2002 and was made a partner in 2007.
Specialises in professional negligence and other commercial litigation. She has particular expertise defending professionals including solicitors and accountants. She also undertakes a substantial element of contentious construction work based on her professional indemnity work for architects, surveyors, and engineers.
Clare trained at Nicholson Graham & Jones and qualified in 1993. She spent seven further years there as a senior solicitor in their dispute resolution team. She worked at Allens Arthur Robinson in Melbourne until 2002, when she joined Henmans. She became an associate in January 2004.
Handles professional negligence and commercial litigation. She has over 13 years' experience of advising and conducting litigation for insurers, with particular expertise in disputes involving engineers, surveyors, architects and contractors' negligence, as well as fire claims, subsidence damage and high value property claims generally, for both claimant and defendant. She also has extensive experience of advising on policy wording and coverage issues.
Katharine trained at Titmuss Sainer & Webb (now Decherts), and qualified in 1993. She joined Henmans in 2005 from Beachcroft Wansbroughs, where she was an associate.
Tom has extensive experience in the resolution of commercial and professional disputes. Since qualification in 2002, Tom has acted for national and international telecommunication and energy suppliers, international brewers and licenced estate owners, sports governing bodies and international motor manufactuers. Tom’s professional indemnity and sports law work includes acting for a large insurer in a highly sensitive multi-million pound dispute arising out of head injury suffered to a well known trainer and former jockey and acting for another large insurer in a dispute arising out of a significant injury to a reserve team player of a premiership football club.
Tom also recently defended a local town council on behalf of its insurer in a claim for defamation brought against the council and one of its councillors and has successfully acted for a number of claimants in professional negligence cases involving solicitors, tax advisers, valuers and surveyors.
Handles professional indemnity and commercial litigation work. She handles claims arising out of work carried out by solicitors, architects and other professionals as well as commercial disputes including debt recovery and company disputes. Esther trained at Henmans and qualified in 2005.
Sally specialises in professional indemnity disputes, contentious trust and probate disputes and commercial disputes. She advises insurers in relation to claims against solicitors and other professionals and acts for private clients on matters relating to disputed Wills, trusts and estates.
Sally trained with Bond Pearce and joined Henmans on qualification in 2005. She left Henmans for a career break in late 2007 and rejoined us in early 2011.
Mona advises on commercial disputes and professional indemnity claims. She also has experience in insolvency and IP related claims. Mona trained at Manches LLP and qualified in 2008. During her training contract Mona was able to gain experience as an in-house lawyer through a part-time secondment to a client. She joined Henmans in spring 2009.
James specialises in commercial disputes and professional indemnity claims. He joined Henmans in May 2011 and acts for a range of listed companies, SMEs, entrepreneurs and insurance companies. His work covers claims for breach of contract, fraud, misrepresentation & deceit, professional misconduct and claims in respect of the duties of company directors and officers. James has also recently been instructed by a number of landlords seeking the removal of squatters from both residential and commercial premises across the UK
Tamsin specialises in professional negligence and commercial litigation, including property litigation, contentious probate and debt recovery.
Tamsin trained at Henmans and qualified in 2009. She is a member of the Junior Lawyers' Division and undertakes regular pro bono work at the Citizens' Advice Bureau. She also sits as a Parish Councillor.
Thomas is part of Henmans' top-ranked and nationally-recognised litigation practice. He specialises in defendant insurance litigation, advising a large number of insurers and their insureds on the defence of public, product and employer's liability matters. In addition, he is part of the firm's specialist unit which defends employers and their insurers against claims for industrial disease.
He also has a particular interest in defending professional negligence claims brought against solicitors and healthcare professionals.
Before joining Henmans, Thomas held a number of commercial management roles at Marks & Spencer's London head office and is focused on bringing a commercial and practical approach to resolving disputes.
We also have a specialist personal-injury-related professional negligence team, headed by Paul Chadder.