Mace & Jones to ‘vigorously’ defend against negligence claim
LAW firm Mace & Jones has has been named as a defendant in a professional negligence claim brought by a North West property developer.
Ellesmere Port-based developer D Morgan has made the claim on advice the firm gave on planning issues connected to its Bold Heath Quarry in St Helens, going back as far as 1992.
The law firm is being sued alongside barrister John Hoggett QC of Kings Chambers.
The claim can only go ahead if lawyers acting for the claimant provide the court with a forensic accountancy report outlining the alleged schedule of losses by 21 April.
A spokesperson for Mace & Jones, which has offices in Liverpool, Manchester and Knutsford, told TheBusinessDesk.com reports that the claim figure stood at £60m was “highly misleading”.
“[It] gives no credit for income received or likely to be received by the claimant. That is why we applied for the order now made by the judge,” the spokesperson said.
“When that credit is given the claim’s real value will be for substantially less and that claim is vigorously defended.”
The spokesperson added: “It is vital the facts of this case are fully understood. The case has come to light because a fortnight ago Mr Justice Coulson made an ‘unless’ order in Mace & Jones favour.
“The order meant unless the claimant properly pleads his alleged losses much of his claim will be thrown out.
“In issuing the order the judge was highly critical of the claimant’s handling of the claim which dates back to events in 1992. Moreover the claim is not against Mace & Jones alone, but is also against the QC we instructed at the time. The greater part of the claim in monetary terms, so far as we can tell, is against the QC.”
In October last year, D Morgan won a long-running battle to excavate Bold Heath Quarry, which has been out of action since 2002.
The decision, which followed a public enquiry, allows it to re-open the quarry, within a year and operate until 2025, excavating 1.06m cubic metres of sand and replacing it with construction waste.
D Morgan is being represented by Landmark Chambers’ Nathalie Lieven QC, Mace & Jones by One Crown Office Row’s John Jolliffe and Hoggett by Crown Office Chambers’ John Greenbourne.
