Experience

Product Liability

Industrial Risk

• Representing a US manufacturer of automotive parts in a dispute with a multinational automotive manufacturer concerning alleged defective engine parts. The dispute is worth in excess of EUR 100m.
• Representing a multinational manufacturer of steel tubes for the nuclear sector in a dispute with its metal supplier, a mining and metallurgical group, in concerning irregularities in the supplied raw materials. Also dealing with parallel investigations by the relevant French authorities.
• Representing a manufacturer of distribution systems in its dispute with one of its clients operating in the pharmaceutical sector alleging a defect in the distribution systems provided.
• Advising a company specialising in the treatment of nuclear waste in relation to criminal proceedings brought against it as a result of an alleged breach.

Industrial Risk/Food

• Assisting food raw ingredient manufacturer in relation to the investigations carried out by the French market surveillance authorities.

Consumer Law/Misleading Commercial Practices

• Representing a leading US mobile phone manufacturer in relation to allegations of misleading marketing concerning water-resistance statements and liquid damage warranty exclusions.

Life Science/Litigation

• Representing a vaccine manufacturer in relation to claims filed by patients concerning alleged side effects from the vaccine and/or claims by individuals who have refused to be vaccinated requesting additional data about the vaccine.

Toxic Tort

Toxic Tort/Pollution

• Representing a multinational company in the proceedings concerning the discovery of pollutants (asbestos, hydrocarbons) and structural issues on the site of a major rejuvenation project for the conversion of an industrial site in France into a cultural campus and offices. The proceedings and related expert investigation concerned the issues of the origin of the pollutants, allocation of liability and the damage suffered due to delay and remedial works.

Insurance

Reinsurance

• Advising a global reinsurer in relation to a EUR 1bn aggregate claim made by a multinational insurance company in respect of all payments made by them through various subsidiaries in Europe relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Property & Business Interruption Insurance

• Representing a company specialising in thermal and air conditioning equipment and its insurer against which liability is sought as a result of a fire in a residential building.
• Representing a global insurance company in relation to a EUR 100m claim arising out of a major fire which resulted in significant property damage. The case is of high importance to the insurance industry and involves a precedent-setting issue of self-ignition of lithium batteries.

Professional Indemnity Liability Insurance

• Representing a global insurance company in relation to a EUR 35m SPPI claim against a European construction consortium, the insured, concerning a partial collapse of a submerged road tunnel. This matter includes a strategic monitoring and advisory role in relation to related arbitration proceedings in Europe concerning claims under Property Damage Insurance and liability dispute with a subcontractor.

General Liability Insurance

• Representing a North American tech company, specialising in energy and water resources management, in relation to a coverage claim arising from a dispute valued in excess of EUR 100m with a European energy company concerning energy meters which allegedly did not conform to spec.
• Advising a global insurance company in relation to a EUR 10m coverage dispute between a leading energy company, the insured, and its customers in the Middle East in relation to the supply and installation of photovoltaic panels. Parallel actions against the panels’ manufacturers in Asia.
• Representing a Canadian manufacturer of hydraulic turbines and its insurer in its dispute with its sub-contractors following the discovery of defects in the said turbine parts of a hydroelectric power plant in Canada.
• Advising a refrigeration units manufacturer and its insurer following a loss affecting a municipal ice ring.

Commercial Litigation

• Advising a Japanese air conditioning manufacturer in relation to the termination of the agreement with one of its distributors.
• Representing a leading American cosmetics manufacturer in a dispute against its French distributor with respect to the termination of established business relations.
• Representing an aeronautical company in the dispute with its contractual partner as a result of a breach of its obligation to transfer the company.