Joanne Wicks QC

Professional Liability CV

A significant proportion of Joanne's work concerns allegations of professional liability against solicitors, barristers, surveyors and other professionals, such as managing agents or property consultants. She acts for claimants, defendants and their insurers.

Her expertise in property law and litigation give her a sound understanding, and practical experience, of the issues which underlie the claim of liability. Joanne is often asked to advise, not only on the claim against the professional, but on how the problems which give rise to the claim may be resolved or the losses mitigated. She deals with insurance coverage issues and gives guidance on professional ethics and conflicts of interest.

Recent/notable cases include:

• Acting for Stocker & Roberts, surveyors, defending claims of negligence and fraud brought against them and other professionals by Barclays Bank in relation to a succession of alleged mortgage frauds
  
  
• Advising solicitors accused of negligence as regards the grant of an option in relation to a recovery action involving complex issues of perpetuities law
  
  
• Acting for solicitors accused of misrepresentation by the other party to a remortgage transaction
  
  
• Acting for an individual owner in a claim against his former solicitors in respect of the drafting of an option to acquire development land
  
  
• Advising a mortgage lender on a succession of claims against various firms of solicitors arising out of an extensive property fraud
  
  
• Acting for a mortgage lender on a surveyor's liability claim involving a portfolio of over 40 properties and including complex contributory negligence allegations
  
  
• A reported case on the court's powers in relation to breach of a solicitor's undertakings (Angel Solicitors (a firm) v Jenkins O'Dowd & Barth [2009] EWHC 46, [2009] 1 WLR 1220)
  
  
• Acting for the Crown Estate in relation to a claim of negligence against managing agents arising out of a serious fire in a building on Haymarket