People
Joanna Lewis
Partner
Jo is a partner in the construction and engineering and professional indemnity departments.
Jo has extensive experience in advising professionals in the construction industry having represented engineers, architects, quantity surveyors and project managers and their professional indemnity insurers. She has advised in both small and high value complex litigation in the TCC as well as mediations and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. Jo specialises in adjudication both in bringing high value fee claim adjudications and defending professional negligence adjudications including a multi million pound double adjudication arising out of a high profile PFI project.
Jo also advises clients in relation to health and safety and regulatory law. She advises on all aspects of an investigation and/or prosecution including what to do after an accident, coroners’ inquests, regulatory offences, sentencing and insurance cover. Jo successfully advised on the acquittal of a corporate manslaughter prosecution in the crown court against an engineer.
In recent years Jo has been involved in a number of claims against surveyors, both residential valuation claims and missed defect claims. Jo is currently involved in an initiative to stream line the method of dealing with and resolving claims against surveyors and working in conjunction with surveyors, RICS, brokers, insurers and lenders to achieve this.Jo has also advised solicitors, insurance brokers, IFAs and their professional indemnity insurers in defendant actions. She has advised in particular in large high profile multi party claims from the Financial Compensation Scheme defending independent financial advisors and in bringing a claim by multiple claimants in regard to complicated financial pension advice against various financial institutions and IFAs.
Jo also regularly advised insurers on all aspects of professional liability policy coverage.
Jo is a Member of the National Society of Women in Construction.