Pleadings and conflicts of interest
10th February 2026
Richard Whitehouse analyses the case of Blower v GH Canfield LLP [2025] EWCA Civ 1627, a claim that arose from settlement advice that was provided by solicitors, allegedly in a situation where there were conflicts of interest.
The claimant alleged that the defendant solicitors were negligent because they were acting for the claimant and other members of her family, including her bankrupt husband.
At first instance, HHJ Paul Matthews found in favour of the defendant. HHJ Matthews found that the solicitors had not been negligent and there were no coherent pleadings on causation.
The Court of Appeal agreed with the judgment at first instance.
Click here to read Richard’s analysis, including the impact of the decision.
Richard Whitehouse is a Commercial Law barrister who specialises in commercial contract and professional negligence. To view his profile click here.
Related News
-
3PB’s specialist commercial, public and information law barrister, Mariya Peykova, has written an article titled ‘Grok around and find out. Or not. What does the law say about sexually explicit deepfakes, and do we need better rules?’. She discusses how Grok has sparked controversy in recent weeks after being used to generate non-consensual sexualised images, with victims predominantly being women and girls. These images are an example of sexually explicit deepfakes created without consent. Mariya...
Continue reading -
3PB's commercial disputes and data protection barrister Mariya Peykova appeared for Volkswagen Group UK in Birmingham in the case of Smith v Volkswagen Group before HHJ Emma Kelly. Mariya was instructed by Shoosmiths LLP. The claimant alleged manufacturing design faults in her car which she had bought seven years earlier. Mariya successfully applied for an Extended Civil Restraint Order (ECRO) after a Deputy District Judge had earlier ruled against the claimant and awarded costs to...
Continue reading -
3PB Barristers are delighted to announce that commercial and insolvency barrister Aaron Luxton has been shortlisted for "Junior Barrister of the Year" at next year’s Birmingham Law Society (BLS) Legal Awards. The awards have been showcasing the very best of the region’s legal talent since the inaugural event in 2002. Firms and individuals practising in the West Midlands were invited to submit nominations in one of the 14 award categories. The winners will be announced...
Continue reading -
3PB’s specialist intellectual property barrister Mark Wilden acted for the successful claimant, JJH Enterprises (trading as ValueLicensing), in a claim before the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) in a case involving the legality of selling pre-owned Microsoft Office and Windows software. In a judgement handed down yesterday as [2025] CAT 75 the tribunal found for the claimant on all substantive issues. The hearing resolved the key question of whether Microsoft's Windows and Office fall outside the...
Continue reading
