Geraint Webb has a broad commercial law practice and insurance practice. He is recognised by Chambers UK and/or the Legal 500 as a specialist in the fields of (1) Product Liability and Consumer Law, (2) Insurance and Re-insurance, (3) International Arbitration, (4) Public Procurement, (5) Commercial Litigation and (6) Information Technology.
He also specialises in the related areas of sale of goods, food and drink law, property damage and contamination, health and safety, and professional indemnity.
He has extensive experience of multi-party and group actions, mass torts, and cross-border disputes and is regularly instructed in international arbitrations. He is a CEDR accredited mediator.
Comments by Chambers UK and Legal 500 this year and over recent years include:
"He's an outstanding junior, just in a class of his own. A real 'details man' who forensically analyses the work. He is hugely impressive in court because he knows everything backwards and fights his corner well."
"a mastery of complicated scientific detail and the good commercial common sense he exhibits when handling disputes".
"academically very strong, incredibly personable and extremely hard-working."
"certainly among the stars of the Product Liability Bar."
"... A fantastic tactician..." "...extremely analytical and focused..." "...excellent knowledge of the law..." " ...really knows his stuff..." "...first-rate" "...very intelligent..."
"Geraint Webb is described by clients as "incredibly bright and a pleasure to work with"... Sources agree that one of Webb's strengths is his "refusal to let go until he has got right to the bottom of every issue..."
"A barrister whose very bright mind is complemented by the pleasure it is to work with him..."
Product Liability, Multi-party Actions and Consumer
Geraint Webb has acted and advised in many of the major product liability cases of the last 15 years across a wide range of sectors, including pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, power generation and energy, agriculture and timber, construction, mining, automobile, IT and telecommunications, electronics and consumer goods.
Geraint has considerable experience of multi-party commercial product liability litigation and sale of goods cases, including the insurance coverage issues relating to such claims.
Geraint is instructed on all forms of product liability and related work, including product recalls, product safety, insurance issues, contractual exemption clauses and jurisdictional issues.
He has acted for and advised many corporations and major brand names, including manufacturers, distributors and retailers, on some of the largest product recalls of recent years.
In addition to civil liability claims, he has considerable experience of advising companies in relation to investigations by regulatory authorities (Trading Standards and the HSE) and regularly acts for manufacturers and retailers facing criminal prosecutions relating to allegedly defective products.
He is a co-author, with Professor John Miller, of Butterworth’s Encyclopaedia of Product Liability Law.
Representative Cases
Significant claims include the 2007 Petrol Contamination incident, crop contamination and fertiliser contamination claims, oil and gas pipe coatings (Mulheim Pipe Coatings GmbH -v- Chemetall plc), multi-party asbestosis and mesothelioma claims and explosion/fire claims relating to consumer goods.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices
Geraint has extensive experience of pharmaceutical/ medical devices group action and multi-party product liability claims.
Representative Cases
- Multiple Claimants v Sanofi-Synthelabo Ltd (2009) EWHC 95 (QB) The FAC (Fetal Anti-Convulsant) Litigation: representing Sanofi Aventis in this major Group Action (on-going) relating to alleged birth disabilities following in utero exposure to medication for the treatment of maternal epilepsy.
- Factor VIII Blood Contamination Litigation.
- Product liability CJD claims: representing the German manufacturer in CJD contamination claims arising from use of a medical device
- Multiparty Toxic substance exposure claims: acting for pharmaceutical manufacturer in relation to multi-party exposure claims.
Food and Drink
Geraint has advised and acted in many of the largest food and drink contamination claims of recent years.
Representative Cases
- Sudan Red food contamination claims – acting for a food manufacturer in one of the largest UK food recalls and trading standards investigation
- The Para Red Litigation – acting for UK food manufacturer in a major food recall and trading standards investigation
- The Benzene Litigation (Bacardi-Martini -v- THP and Britvic -v- Messer) acting for the food ingredient manufacturer in these leading product liability cases on tort/property damage and exemption clauses.
- Various packaging chemical migration claims leading to major recalls
Major Property Damage and Factory Explosions
Much of Geraint’s practice involves major property damage, factory explosions and contamination incidents. He has been instructed in a broad range of claims across a wide variety of sectors, including the energy generation and petrochemical sectors.
Representative Cases
Gas turbine explosions/failures
Factory explosions, including fuel mills and hammer mills
Chemical and petrol storage tank failures
Ship propeller failures
Corrosion and metal fatigue failures
Industrial boiler failures
Insurance Coverage Disputes
Geraint has considerable experience in the field of insurance coverage disputes, particularly in relation to product liability policies and property damage claims. Many of these matters are dealt with by way of international arbitration. He also has extensive experience of subrogation claims.
Health and Safety, Personal Injury, Fatal Accidents and Inquests
Geraint is instructed on a range of employer’s liability and health and safety claims, including accidents at work, mesothelioma, hazardous substance exposure claims and carbon monoxide poisoning. He has considerable experience of personal injury litigation arising out of accidents at work, including fatal accidents and inquests. He regularly defends health and safety prosecutions. He also has a well established personal injury practice.
Public Procurement and Local Government
Geraint has particular expertise in the field of public procurement as well as extensive experience of a broad range of local government work. He is recognised as a leading junior in the field of public procurement by Chambers UK.
Representative Cases
- Harmon CFEM Facades (UK) Ltd v The Corporate Officer of the House of Commons [1999] All ER (D) 1178
- Local authority public procurement disputes across a variety of sectors.
Information Technology
Geraint has been instructed on a number of major computer software disputes by both the private and public sectors and is recognised by The Legal 500 as a leading junior in this area.
Representative Cases
Local authority IT procurement disputes and contractual software disputes, as well as private sector disputes such as:
- Sam Business Systems Limited v Hedley and Company [2002] EWHC 2733 (TCC), [2003] 1 All ER (Comm) 465, [2003] IP & T 451
Environment, Nuisance and Contamination
Geraint has acted in a range of environmental/nuisance, land and property contamination and/or Rylands v Fletcher claims.
Representative Cases
- Austin & Ors v Miller Argent (South Wales), Court of Appeal - Civil Division, April 04, 2011 [2011] EWCA Civ 363
International Arbitration, Mediation and Adjudication
Geraint regularly acts as an advocate in arbitrations and has experience of various forms of arbitration procedures including ICC, UNCITRAL, LCIA, ad hoc arbitrations etc. as well as adjudications. He has dealt with many cross-border claims and claims determined under the foreign law of various countries including the laws of Germany, Italy, Spain, South Africa and Bahrain.
Representative Cases
Recent Arbitrations include insurance coverage disputes and subrogated claims arising out of major property damage claims arising out of industrial explosions /fires, land contamination claims, property contamination claims, crop contamination claims, food and drink contamination and major product recalls.
Call: 1995
Education & Scholarships
- BA (Oxon) First Class Honours (1992)
- Exhibitioner of Christ Church (1990)
- Inner Temple Scholarship (1993)
- Princess Royal Scholarship (1994)
Appointments
- CEDR accredited mediator (2000)
Memberships
Commercial Bar Association (COMBAR)
London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association (LCLCBA)
Procurement Lawyers Association
Health & Safety Lawyers Association
Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers
Publications
- Contributor to: Butterworths Encyclopaedia of Product Liability Law
- Halsbury's Laws - Practice and Procedure (2001)
- The Civil Practitioner’s Guide to the Human Rights Act 1998
