Supporting professional services providers to achieve more
The competitive nature of professional services providers and increased pressures from the demands of their clients have highlighted the importance of commercially focussed legal advice. These pressures are leading to an increase in concerns from partnership disputes to a greater focus on managing risk and regulatory compliance.
In response to these challenges we bring together technical expertise across the wide variety of legal and regulatory disciplines that the sector faces. We combine this with extensive experience representing major industry players around the world in external and internal disputes, claims, documentation and structuring (including tax).
This experience extends across accounting firms, insurance brokers, engineering and construction professionals, stockbrokers and actuaries. It includes law firms and in-house teams, covering professional indemnity claims, professional negligence claims, partnership agreements and employment claims.
As most of the work we do in this area is highly confidential, we are unable to disclose the identity of our clients but our experience in working with professional services firms includes:
- One of the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms in defence of multiple shareholder class action claims and associated cross claims alleging misleading and deceptive conduct, and negligence.
- One of the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms in a high profile sexual harassment proceedings brought in the Federal Court by a former partner of the firm.
- Advising and acting for a wide range of professionals (including solicitors, insurance brokers, stockbrokers, engineers and accountants) and their insurers in professional negligence disputes (and coverage disputes).
- Advising a top tier law firm which was joined to the Oz Minerals class action. The core issues were continuous disclosure and the scope of the contractual retainer.
- A major global consulting firm on allegations regarding breach of non-solicitation obligations by a new employee.
- A number of global insurance brokers defending claims concerning brokerage services (and other bespoke services) provided to clients.
- Advising professional service providers on terms of service and standard retainer agreements.
- Advising on different limitation of liability schemes under the Professional Standards Act.
