Sophie Engel

Associate, Deputy Head of French Desk

Bristol

Sophie is an Associate in the Commercial Dispute Resolution team, working primarily in commercial litigation, financial services insurance coverage, and professional indemnity.
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About Sophie

Bio
  • Biography

    Sophie is a Commercial Dispute Resolution Associate. She acts for corporates in big-ticket litigation, complex contractual disputes and contentious matters often involving serious potential reputational impact, across many sectors including financial services, construction and insurance, as well as advising on Financial Ombudsman Service ("FOS") complaints.

    Current / recent experience includes:

    • High Court Chancery Division - successful preliminary issue trial on a point of contractual construction (read about it here).
    • High Court King's Bench Division - defence of professional indemnity claim for the purported dilution of valuable mineral rights allegedly arising from negligent tax advice.
    • Defence of pre-litigation construction claim for defective works at four schools brought directly against insurers (insolvent insured). Remedial works valued at around £30 million.
    • High Court Chancery Division - defence of complex litigation involving contested ownership of a UK hotel with multiple overseas parties (settled post-mediation).
    • Defence of complex, long-standing dispute on behalf of defunct solicitors' firm arising from overseas property collapse leaving hundreds of claimants exposed to claims by overseas banks.
    • Advice to prominent insurer on potential breach of travel insurance policy arising from high-profile death of insured overseas - complaint referred to FOS and inquest ongoing in background.
    • Advice to mortgage broker in numerous product suitability, interest rate fluctuation, and protection policy claims.
    • Coverage advice to various insurers arising from negligent or fraudulent investment advice given by insured financial advisory firms.  

    Sophie was born in San-Francisco (California) but grew up in Brussels (Belgium) and is fluent in French. She is Deputy Head of DACB’s French Desk, which offers UK legal expertise with language capability to law firms, corporates and high net worth individuals from French-speaking countries with interests in the UK."

Sector Expertise
  • Insurance

Service Expertise
  • Commercial

Office Location

Bristol Skyline

Bristol

  • DAC Beachcroft LLP
  • Portwall Place, Portwall Lane
  • Bristol, BS1 6NA

+44 (0) 117 918 2000

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