Clyde & Co appoints leading abuse lawyer as partner

Insurance-focussed global law firm  Clyde & Co has hired a leading abuse lawyer as a partner in its global insurance practice based in Manchester.

Alastair Gillespie has nearly 30 years’ experience defending sensitive non-recent claims on behalf of insurers, schools, charities, sporting clubs and other public and private organisations, both insured and uninsured. Throughout the late 1990s and through to the 2000s he was heavily involved in both the North Wales and North West group actions, the outcomes of which were integral to the subsequent development of law and process in abuse claims, Clyde noted.

More recently, Gillespie guided Barclays Bank and its insurers in the Supreme Court on the fundamental question of vicarious liability for independent contractors.

Gillespie has appeared as an expert witness in the defence of abuse claims before the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) on three separate occasions, giving evidence on key issues including the development of the current civil claims process, limitation and the likely impact of changes to the current regime.

On July 1, Clyde & Co merged with BLM to create a firm with a global revenue of over £700m per annum, a headcount of over 5,000, and with offices in over 60 cities worldwide. The merger enhances the firm's abuse practice in the UK with the team led by Paula Jefferson.

Graeme Watson, Clyde & Co Partner, said: “In this space clients seek lawyers who can provide the highest level of technical skill but, more than that, offer support to them on insurance market developments in what is a dynamic area of law and regulation. As a leading practitioner in England in the field of acting for insurers in abuse cases, Alastair will provide just that.”

Jefferson added: “we provide a comprehensive service to clients facing issues following disclosure of abuse, offering significant depth of experience and variety of approaches when responding to the many issues which arise. Alastair joining enables clients to access the widest range of responses to the challenges faced.”

James Cooper, chair of Clyde & Co’s Global Insurance Practice Group, said: “It is our strategic aim to be the leading legal services provider to the insurance industry, globally, and as part of this we are continually looking to add expertise to our UK casualty offering. Alastair’s expertise dovetails with the strengths of our existing legacy and latent disease team and broadens our offering to clients in this important area of casualty insurance.”