Alicia Tew

Call: 2012

Alicia specialises in professional liability, insurance, regulation, and commercial disputes including civil fraud. She enjoys acting as sole counsel or as a junior, and frequently appears as sole counsel in complex claims.

Alicia has strong relationships with her clients and enjoys working as part of a team. She is currently being led by Nicola Rushton QC in a £16.5m civil fraud case and Simon Howarth QC in a £4m commercial dispute. Recently, Alicia was also led by Jamie Carpenter QC in a £2m+ professional negligence claim arising out of fraud.

A substantial part of Alicia’s practice involves professional liability work focusing on lawyers, property and financial professionals.

Lawyers

Alicia has an extensive practice in lawyers’ liability, including barristers and solicitors’ claims. Her cases include claims arising out of the following areas:

  • Failed ownership schemes
  • Property, particularly conveyancing including fraudulent transactions, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of undertakings, commercial and residential leases
  • Tax avoidance schemes
  • Data protection breaches
  • Information Commissioner proceedings
  • Civil litigation, including over-settlement, under-settlement, lost litigation, loss of a chance and other heads of loss
  • Employment disputes including claims for alleged under-settlement and lost litigation arising out of the Employment Tribunal and EAT
  • Family ancillary relief awards
  • Criminal defence
  • Wills and trusts

Alicia has been led by many silks in chambers who specialise in professional negligence.

Currently, Alicia is led by Nicola Rushton QC in a civil fraud claim which is likely to be associated with professional negligence claims in the near future, for over £16.5m.

Recently, Alicia was led by Jamie Carpenter QC in a £3m+ professional negligence claim against a fraudulent solicitor acting as trustee for a victim of clinical negligence.

Previously, Alicia was led by Michael Pooles QC and Spike Charlwood in the defence of an alleged £100m claim brought by a property development company against a solicitors’ firm, which settled close to trial. Alicia has also been led by William Flenley QC in a solicitors’ negligence dispute.

In 2018, on secondment to Herbert Smith Freehills, Alicia assisted with a multi-billion GBP potential claim against a major City solicitors’ firm.

Finance

Alicia’s work relating to financial professionals is broad, including accountants, IFAs, insolvency practitioners, tax advisors, and insurance brokers.

Alicia’s recent cases include:

  • Representing accountants in a 3 day trial involving allegations of negligent advice on tax
  • Advising an insurance broker accused of failures in placing insurance and handling claims
  • Pursuing and defending contribution claims involving solicitors, surveyors and accountants

Alicia’s expertise in professional negligence is closely supported by her practices in insurance coverage disputes, commercial disputes, property disputes and regulatory law.

Alicia has strong expertise in insurance coverage and brokerage claims. She is frequently instructed to advise policyholders and insurers on insurance disputes including notification, aggregation, exclusions and other coverage issues. 

Recently, Alicia has been instructed to advise on cover under a professional negligence policy which included Insurance Act 2015 extensions for inadvertent breaches by the policyholder. She has also been instructed to advise on the extent of cover for a complex commercial dispute under a professional negligence policy.

Alicia has advised on:

  • High-value potential liabilities related to Grenfell under a professional negligence policy
  • Public liability insurance cover for historic sexual abuse
  • Directors and officers’ cover under a D&O policy relating to a major insolvent corporation
  • Claims on a bond regarding fraud by insolvency practitioners
  • Employers’ liability policies relating to a terrorist attack against employees.
  • Claims against bond issuers regarding fraud by insolvency practitioners
  • Fire/property damage claims

Alicia advised extensively on insurance disputes when on secondment to Herbert Smith Freehills’ insurance litigation team in 2018.

Alicia’s commercial practice is busy, varied and expanding. She is frequently instructed in significant commercial claims, both in her own right and as a junior.

She is currently led by Nicola Rushton QC in a civil fraud claim for losses of over £16.5m of investment in an unregulated collective investment scheme, where she assisted in obtaining a freezing injunction and continues to represent the claimants.

She is also led by Simon Howarth QC in defending a £4m commercial dispute involving a solicitor’s business, which has led to associated issues of costs law and regulation. 

In her own practice, Alicia advises as sole counsel on a range of commercial claims including haulage, hire, agency, sale and purchase agreements and non-compete clauses. She was recently successful in striking out a claim at trial for non-solicitation fees as an abuse of process, and recovering substantial defendant costs.

Alicia was led by Bernard Livesey QC in the first instance decision of the High Court (ChD) of Willers v Gubay, which led to the recognition by the Supreme Court of the new tort of malicious prosecution (UKSC 2015/0154).

Alicia’s work in regulation involves issues of dishonesty, incompetence, health and reporting. Her practice spans medical and non-medical regulators, including acting for the SRA in a misconduct case which concerned complex health issues for the respondent: SRA v Ashurst, (8 February 2018, Law Society Gazette).

Alicia advises parties throughout ombudsman investigations (including FOS and the Legal Ombudsman) and has an in-depth knowledge of both judicial review and financial regulatory issues such as the authorised representative statutory scheme.  

Alicia has been led by William Flenley QC and Simon Howarth QC in complex cases involving the SRA and FCA.

Alicia has a specialist practice in costs which dovetails with her specialisms in professional liability and commercial disputes. She regularly appears in costs hearings before costs judges and County Court judges, and advises on costs issues.

Alicia’s practice includes:

  • Appearing in first instance and appeal courts regarding points of principle on costs, such as the application of QOCs and Part 36 offers, and jurisdiction for detailed assessment
  • Achieving significant discounts for parties facing high bills of costs, including acting on a £1.8m costs dispute with Imran Benson which resulted in a very favourable outcome for the client.
  • Acting on solicitor-client disputes and assessments.

She is keen to work closely with parties to assist them at an early stage on costs issues and to ensure that their strategy achieves a commercial result.

Membership

Alicia is a member of the Professional Negligence Bar Association, Chancery Bar Association, British Insurance Lawyers Association, Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers and Bar Human Rights Committee.

Personal

Alicia enjoys dancing, skiing, music and travelling. Alicia has a strong commitment to pro bono work and frequently acts for clients via Advocate and the Centre for Women’s Justice.

Alicia is the co-lead on Outreach for chambers and she regularly appears on interview panels for pupillage and tenancy.

ICO Data protection registration number: ZA054031

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