Solicitors

CMS’s specialist Solicitors’ PI team is a recognised leader in solicitors’ professional indemnity work, and spans our London, Bristol and Edinburgh offices.  The practice continues to grow and develop its reputation for handling a broad range of complex matters.

CMS has acted for a number of the leading participating and excess layer insurers in the defence of claims brought against their solicitor insureds.  Our practice spans large international and domestic law firms, including many top 50 UK law firms. The UK team has also acted, either in conjunction with CMS offices/member firms or local counsel, in the defence/monitoring of claims across Europe (including in Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, and the Channel Islands) and beyond (including in Malta, the Bahamas, Nevis and Hong Kong). 

Our well-established coverage practice regularly advises insurers on high-stakes, sensitive and complex policy issues; we acted for AXIS in the hard-fought Discovery Land case and have advised insurers on the coverage issues arising in two of the largest and most prominent law firm insolvencies in 2023-2024.

The team has a burgeoning regulatory practice, advising insurers and their solicitor insureds in relation to regulatory obligations, SRA complaints, investigations and proceedings before the SDT.  We also advise insurers on solicitors’ policy wording and SRA consultations on amendments to the MTCs.  We provide training to our law firm and insurer clients and authored ‘Solicitors’ Claims: A Practical Guide’ published by Sweet & Maxwell.