Harrison L.
West
Harrison has extensive expertise across the spectrum of commercial litigation, including regular involvement in arbitration and ADR, as well as advisory work. He has particular expertise in insurance and reinsurance and professional negligence matters. Harrison’s practice entails handling a high-profile caseload of complex insurance and reinsurance disputes.
Harrison has in excess of two decades of experience in advising on and arbitrating/litigating disputes in the insurance and reinsurance fields, including Bermuda Form arbitrations. Notable reported cases include Tesco Stores v D.A.Constable and Rathbone Brothers v Novae in the Court of Appeal and EL Trigger in the Supreme Court. He returned to the Supreme Court in Phoenix Engineering v UK Insurance [2019] UKSC 16. Harrison 's acted for the Financial Conduct Authority in the High Court stage of the Covid-19 Business Interruption test case, leading the junior team of counsel. Brought against 8 leading insurers, the case is a contender for the most important piece of insurance litigation in over a decade - see news article.
Many higher profile cases are the subject of confidential arbitration, but include claims by numerous FTSE 100 companies, international airlines and global engineering companies and major loss events including the 9/11 Attacks, the Lehman Brothers Collapse, Californian Wildfires, Grenfell Tower, Not-Petya Global Cyber Attack, major Aircraft Grounding claims and the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Harrison offers expertise in handling fraud in the context of insurance claims, including coverage issues arising from fraudulent activities and the effect of fraudulent conduct in course of pursuing insurance claims, and has extensive experience in mis-selling claims, particularly the mis-selling of investment products including CDO’s, gear-down accumulators and offshore trust related claims.
Harrison is frequently involved in reviewing and drafting policy wording and endorsements, including bespoke coverages in the context of mergers and acquisitions.
Harrison also acts an arbitrator in insurance and reinsurance disputes and is on the ARIAS panel of arbitrators.
Harrison was named Insurance Junior of the Year at the prestigious 2019 Chambers Bar Awards, based on research for the Chambers UK 2020 edition, an award he has also held previously. The Awards are based upon independent research conducted by Chambers Uk
Harrison regularly speaks at insurance industry events, with appearances at main-stage events at the annual AIRMIC and BIBA conferences, and has presented insurance and reinsurance seminars in London, Hong Kong and Bermuda.
A published Opinion provided by Harrison and Colin Edelman KC was relied upon by an alliance of the UK insurance industry (consisting of Mactavish, Lloyd’s, the LMA, IUA, ABI, BIBA, LIIBA and AIRMIC, collectively representing insurers, brokers and policyholders), in the House of Lords debate on proposed amendments to the Insurance Act 2015. The amendments, including amendments proposed by Colin and Richard, became law with the passing of the Enterprise Act 2016.
A published Opinion provided by Harrison and Colin Edelman KC was relied upon by an alliance of the UK insurance industry (consisting of Mactavish, Lloyd’s, the LMA, IUA, ABI, BIBA, LIIBA and AIRMIC, collectively representing insurers, brokers and policyholders), in the House of Lords debate on proposed amendments to the Insurance Act 2015. The amendments, including amendments proposed by Colin and Richard, became law with the passing of the Enterprise Act 2016.
Recent cases of Note
- Tax Law
- Constitutional Law
- International Law
- Civil And Political Right
- Insurance and reinsurance
- Commercial Litigation and Disputes Arbration
- Professional Negligence
- Conflict of Law
- Banking and Financial Services
- Fraud
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Contact
- brrharrisonwest19@gmail.com
Insurance & Reinsurance
Commercial Litigation and Disputes
Arbitration
Professional Negligence
Conflicts of Laws
Banking and Financial Services
Fraud
COVID-19: Commercial Litigation & Disputes
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
Technology
- Advised on a major reorganisation for a major international Korean technology company
- Advised on senior employee exits for a major international Korean technology company
- Advised on HR/employment matters for a major international Korean technology company
- Advised on an Employment Tribunal case for a Korean fintech company, successfully striking out the claim
- Advised on HR/employment matters for a Korean fintech company
Financial Services
- Advised on HR/employment issues for major Korean commercial banks
- Advised on a major disciplinary and dismissal of an employee for a major Korean commercial bank
- Advised on a major redundancy for a large Korean commercial bank
- Advised on an employment contract issue for a major Korean commercial bank
- Advised on Covid-19-related issues for a major Korean commercial bank
Energy
- Advised on a major redundancy for a large Korean energy company
- Advised on modern slavery obligations for a large Korean energy company
- Advised on negotiating a senior employee exit for a large Korean energy company
- Advised on an employee fraud issue for a large Korean lubricants company
- Advised on a senior employee service contract for a Korean lubricants company
Media
- Advised on various senior employee exits for a Korean marketing company
- Advised on an Employment Tribunal dispute for a Korean marketing company, leading to successful settlement
- Advised on business immigration issues for a Korean marketing company
- Advised and drafted employment contracts and staff handbook for a Korean marketing company
- Advised on a data protection matter for a Korean marketing company
Immigration
- Advised a major international technology client on their sponsorship compliance issues and processes, and helped to ensure their compliance with Home Office rules and guidance.
- Advised a major manufacturing client on their sponsorship duties.
- Advised an international energy client with immigration compliance steps following mergers and acquisitions activities.
- Advised a fintech client on successfully obtaining a sponsor licence to kick start their recruitment drive.
- Advised a major food supplier company in re-obtaining their sponsor licence following its expiry.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to Boccaduti london
COMBAR
BILA
LCCBA
ARIAS (UK) Panel Arbitrator
Chancery Bar Association
Insurance Junior of the Year – 2019 Chambers Bar Awards
Squire University Law Scholarship
College Scholarship and Prize
Hardwick Scholarship
Lincoln’s Inn Sunley Scholarship – 1990
Lincoln’s Inn Hubert-Greenland Scholarship (Major Award)
Education
University of Cambridge, Robinson College M.A (Law Tripos)
Richard has extensive expertise across the spectrum of commercial litigation, including regular involvement in arbitration and ADR, as well as advisory work. He has particular expertise in insurance and reinsurance and professional negligence matters. Richard’s practice entails handling a high-profile caseload of complex insurance and reinsurance disputes.
Richard has in excess of two decades of experience in advising on and arbitrating/litigating disputes in the insurance and reinsurance fields, including Bermuda Form arbitrations. Notable reported cases include Tesco Stores v D.A.Constable and Rathbone Brothers v Novae in the Court of Appeal and EL Trigger in the Supreme Court. He returned to the Supreme Court in Phoenix Engineering v UK Insurance [2019] UKSC 16. Richard acted for the Financial Conduct Authority in the High Court stage of the Covid-19 Business Interruption test case, leading the junior team of counsel. Brought against 8 leading insurers, the case is a contender for the most important piece of insurance litigation in over a decade – see news article.
Many higher profile cases are the subject of confidential arbitration, but include claims by numerous FTSE 100 companies, international airlines and global engineering companies and major loss events including the 9/11 Attacks, the Lehman Brothers Collapse, Californian Wildfires, Grenfell Tower, Not-Petya Global Cyber Attack, major Aircraft Grounding claims and the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Richard offers expertise in handling fraud in the context of insurance claims, including coverage issues arising from fraudulent activities and the effect of fraudulent conduct in course of pursuing insurance claims, and has extensive experience in mis-selling claims, particularly the mis-selling of investment products including CDO’s, gear-down accumulators and offshore trust related claims.
Richard is frequently involved in reviewing and drafting policy wording and endorsements, including bespoke coverages in the context of mergers and acquisitions.
Richard also acts an arbitrator in insurance and reinsurance disputes and is on the ARIAS panel of arbitrators.
Richard was named Insurance Junior of the Year at the prestigious 2019 Chambers Bar Awards, based on research for the Chambers UK 2020 edition, an award he has also held previously. The Awards are based upon independent research conducted by Chambers UK.
Richard regularly speaks at insurance industry events, with appearances at main-stage events at the annual AIRMIC and BIBA conferences, and has presented insurance and reinsurance seminars in London, Hong Kong and Bermuda.
A published Opinion provided by Richard and Colin Edelman KC was relied upon by an alliance of the UK insurance industry (consisting of Mactavish, Lloyd’s, the LMA, IUA, ABI, BIBA, LIIBA and AIRMIC, collectively representing insurers, brokers and policyholders), in the House of Lords debate on proposed amendments to the Insurance Act 2015. The amendments, including amendments proposed by Colin and Richard, became law with the passing of the Enterprise Act 2016.
Recent cases of note include:
Financial Conduct Authority v Arch Insurance (UK) Ltd and Ors [2020] EWHC 2448 (Comm) – Richard led the junior counsel team at the first instance of this test case, which sought to clarify whether a variety of insurance policy wordings cover business interruption losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and public health measures taken by UK authorities in response to the pandemic from March 2020. The test case focused on the application of Denial of Access and Notifiable Disease extensions to pandemic related losses. (The judgment went on to be appealed in The Supreme Court The Financial Conduct Authority v Arch and Others [2021] UKSC 1)
Phoenix Engineering v UK Insurance [2019] UKSC 16 – Compulsory Motor Insurance – Relationship between EU and UK law – this controversial appeal determined whether the UK’s compulsory motor insurance regime applied to vehicles being repaired off-road and whether this was affected by European Union law. It resolved a key dividing line between compulsory motor insurance and property/non-motor liability insurance.
Catlin Syndicate Ltd v. Weyerhaeuser Co [2019] Lloyd’sRep.IR427 – successful pursuit of an anti-suit injunction against reinsured.
