Beverley Atkinson

Beverley specialises in professional indemnity litigation.

She has over 20 years’ experience acting for insurers and defending claims against professionals in a range of sectors including construction, solicitors, financial services and surveyors. Her key clients include Zurich, Tokio Marine HCC, QBE, Allied World, AmTrust & Markel. She also has experience dealing with D&O claims and coverage.

Beverley is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in professional negligence law. She is a solicitor advocate. She is dual qualified in Scotland and in England & Wales. She has experience of handling complex claims of significant value. She is an experienced litigator and an advocate of ADR. She also sits as a Vice Chair of the Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal which determines complaints of professional misconduct against Scottish solicitors.

Relevant experience includes advising:

• On a solicitors’ negligence claim seeking damages of £1.3m for loss of opportunity. She negotiated a settlement of the claim at less than 3% of the sum claimed.
• On the defence of adjudication proceedings raised against M&E engineers on alleged defective design of basement waterproofing.
• Surveyors in respect of multiple claims of alleged over-valuation and fraudulent misrepresentation.
• A consultant management accountant on a negligence claim arising out of alleged failure to detect, or put in place measures to detect, fraud perpetrated by a company’s finance controller.
• A firm of consultant geotechnical engineers in respect of alleged negligent design of riverbank reinstatement works.
• An IFA in respect of a claim concerning alleged negligent pensions advice and over-charging of fees.
• Insurers on coverage advice in respect of a claim against an accountant alleged to have provided false income information to a lender.
• On the defence of a £1m claim against a financial advice network and one of its Appointed Representatives alleged to have cancelled life and critical illness policies without the client’s knowledge or consent. This claim was settled at mediation at a substantial discount on the sums claimed.

Beverley was recognised by Chambers Directory 2020 as an “Associate to Watch”.