International Law Firm Expands Disputes Team to Support South West Businesses
The Commercial Litigation team at Trowers & Hamlins in Exeter advises private and public sector organisations and individuals based in the South West, nationally and internationally on a wide range of commercial disputes.
The 7 team members have particular experience of handling claims within the aviation, insurance, data protection, energy, IT, care, private client (contentious probate), energy, IT, restructuring and insolvency, international and education sectors. Kathryn Insall, who grew up in Cornwall, heads up the Exeter Commercial Litigation team which she joined in July 2016 after nine years at a major City firm.
Kathryn has extensive national and international litigation experience in all forums with a particular focus on the aerospace, insurance, manufacturing and technology sectors. She specifically heads up the Exeter based, multi-disciplinary and Legal 500 ranked Aviation practice which handles disputes, fraud, commercial property and finance matters for both national and international aerospace clients. Kathryn has further managed high profile fraud, misrepresentation, debt recovery and professional negligence claims and also has experience of advising commercial property and construction clients in relation to complex coverage queries, maintenance and design faults. Kathryn is currently advising various policyholders on business interruption insurance claims and providing training to large corporates on future litigation risks stemming from the pandemic.
Emily Aggett returned to Exeter in 2018 after growing up in the South West and attending school in the city. Emily provides commercial advice on a wide range of issues including shareholder and partnership disputes, breach of contract situations/contract termination, debt recovery, preservation of business relationships and civil court claims as well as dispute resolution methods including mediation. She has a particular interest in SMEs and Owner Managed Businesses. She is a specialist in data protection law and advises on Subject Access Requests made under the GDPR, data breach situations and resultant claims, temporary and longer-term data sharing arrangements and policy and regulatory requirements under the Data Protection Act 2018.
Alex Sharples recently moved to Exeter after spending more than a decade at a heavyweight litigation practice. Alex has extensive experience in advising clients in relation to complex and high-value national and international disputes particularly in the energy, IT and defence industries and helping clients manage complex IT projects and IT providers. He also has a strong general commercial practice, advising clients on contractual disputes, share purchase agreements and asset disposal. Alex was also previously seconded to the in-house legal team of a major UK airport, advising on a broad range of legal issues including commercial disputes, commercial contract and property matters. Alex is currently providing training to various large corporates on termination of contracts in a post-pandemic world.
Maria Dunn, who grew up in Cornwall, specialises in advising on contentious probate and care sector related issues including Court of Protection proceedings and inquiries and is recognised in the legal directories for this work. She is also a specialist in data protection law. Her day to day work includes pursuing and defending litigation in the County and High Court, advising clients on business disputes, mental capacity issues and CQC regulatory issues as well as contractual disputes involving NHS commissioners and care providers, representing clients at inquest proceedings, advising on adult safeguarding issues and advising on data protection matters such as data breaches and complex Subject Access Requests.
Vanessa Beazley relocated to Exeter from London in January 2021. Prior to that, she trained and worked in the Restructuring and Insolvency teams at two major City firms. Vanessa’s practice focuses on both corporate restructuring and contentious insolvency matters. She provides advisory, transactional and contentious advice to insolvency practitioners, creditors, debtors, lenders, directors, and companies in financial difficulties in the South West and nationally. Recently, Vanessa has provided commercial advice on a range of insolvency issues such as directors’ duties and wrongful trading, antecedent transactions, administration sales, administrators’ remuneration and the operation of trusts in the insolvency estate.
Alexander Emmott grew up and attended school in the South West and returned in 2016 to join the firm. His practice focuses on commercial litigation and arbitration with experience across a wide range of disputes including commercial/contractual disputes, arbitration, debt disputes, fraud, manufacturing disputes, engineering disputes and judicial review. He has a particular interest in complex commercial disputes and cross-border litigation with experience in International Arbitration, DIFC Court and ADGM Court proceedings.
Kelly Matthews, who grew up and attended school in Exmouth, acts for a wide range of corporate and public sector clients, including education providers, care providers, charities, local authorities and NHS commissioners. She has developing specialisms in handling disputes affecting the education and care sectors, including school admissions disputes, special educational needs and education funding, adult safeguarding, mental capacity and mental health issues, including Court of Protection work. She also frequently assists with inquests and contentious probate matters.
For more information on how we can help your business to win, resolve and avoid disputes, contact Kathryn Insall at [email protected].
