Lawrence regularly advises private businesses, local governments and insurers on matters of contract and business regulation.

Representative Cases

• Yorkshire Water Company
  Advising in respect of financial liabilities for licensing rights
• Palms Resort Ltd v PPC Privy Council 2010
  Liability for commercial electricity rates
• Providenciales Airport Co v YVR Airport Co
  Advising on contractual liabilities
• Islandcom v PPC
  Advising in respect of telecommunications licensing and interference with mobile telephone services
• Mesothelioma Trigger Litigation
  Large scale action regarding the liability of Employers Liability Insurers for mesothelioma claims
• Combustion Engineering Inc  524(g) Asbestos PI Trust
  Advising American Attorneys, Stutzman Bromberg Esserman & Plifka, in respect of the administration of the trust providing for compensation to asbestos suffers resulting from exposure to Combustion Engineering products sold world-wide.
• United Utilities v. Environment Agency 2007 HL
  Claim for declaratory relief that sewage treatment plants are not subject to Pollution  Prevention and Control Regulations permit system
• In re The Sunrise Agency 2006 PC
  Retrospective effect of legislation.
• Bond et al v. Vernalis Plc
  Shareholders’ fraud action
• Joint Replacement Instrumentation Ltd v. Ceramtec AG [2001] All ER (D) 194
  Jurisdiction of the English Courts; Contract
• Legal & General Assurance Society v. Drake Insurance Co Ltd [1989] 3 All ER 923
  Insurance – Contribution between liability insurers of the same risk
  

Lawrence has developed a substantial practice including the defence of heavier personal injury claims, especially those in which a degree of fraud is suspected and those in which difficult technical scientific or  medical issues are raised, including pure clinical medical negligence claims and asbestos claims.  

Representative Cases

• Johnson v Fourie
  Clinical negligence claim for nerve damage occasioned by negligent plastic surgery
• KHR v Dartford & Gravesham NHS
  Brain damage to child
• Page v Barnet and Chase Farm NHS
  Infant brain injury due to midwifery negligence
• Ffrench v Mayday Healthcare NHS
  Clinical negligence
• Mesothelioma Trigger Litigation
  Large scale action regarding the liability of Employers Liability Insurers for mesothelioma claims
• Bampton et al v. Powertrain
  Defence of a large series of claims of respiratory illness allegedly caused by exposure to oil mists.
• Warrilow v. Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals Trust 2006
  Liability for bladder damage during childbirth
• Hone v. Mitchells & Butler  2005 CA
  Liability for stress at work
• Lewis v. Mitchells & Butler 2005 CA
  Liability in respect of a fall from a hotel window
• Shand v. Wallace Arnold 2005
  Liability in respect of Legionnaires disease
• HSE v. Cleanaway Ltd
  Defence of H&S prosecutions arising out industrial fatalities
• Booth v. Phillips et al [2004] EWHC 1497
  Jurisdiction in respect of a fatal accident occurring on board ship in Egypt
• Coates v. Jaguar Cars [2004] All ER (D) 87 (CA)
  Employer’s liability
• Donoghue v. Folkestone Properties Limited [2003] QB 1008
  Occupier’s liability to trespassers.
• Afzal v. Chubb Guarding Services [2002] All ER (D) 369
  Defence against fraudulent personal injury claim
• Gates v McKenna
  Defence of celebrity stage hypnotist
• Howarth v. Green [2001] All ER (D)
  Personal injury - negligent stage hypnotist
• Joint Replacement Instrumentation Ltd v. Ceramtec AG [2001] All ER (D) 194
  Jurisdiction of the English Courts; Contract
• Chappell v. Imperial Design Ltd [2000] All ER (D) 1619
  Contributory negligence of an infant
• Mellery v. Wainwright [1997 CA]
  Liability of motorist to infant pedestrian
• Stubbings v. Webb  [1993] AC 498
  Limitation of action - personal injuries - power to override time limit
• Ramsden v. Lee [1992] 2 All ER 204
  Limitation of actions
• Dominion Mosaics and Tile Co v. Trafalger Trucking [1990] 2 All ER  246
  Measure of damages – fire claim – replacement of business premises
• Thake v. Maurice  [1986] 2 QB 644  [1985] 2 WLR 215
  Medical practitioner - contract - operation - public policy - damages - birth of child  following vasectomy

Lawrence regularly advises water undertakers, other utilities, industrial concerns and others on environmental matters including asbestosis, and has extensive experience of product liability cases including those involving food products; agrochemicals; petrochemicals; pharmaceuticals and other medical products; electrical equipment; and exposure to contaminants.  He was recently engaged in the very significant Mesothelioma Trigger Litigation in which he represented the interests of all local authorities in both the High Court and the Court of Appeal.

Representative Cases

• Bampton et al v. Powertrain
  Defence of a large series of claims of respiratory illness allegedly caused by exposure to oil mists.
• Hazelwood v. Teignbridge District Council
  Defence of flooding claims
• Environment Agency v. Hutchison 3G
  Defence of Environment Act prosecution
• HSE v. Cleanaway Ltd
  Defence of H&S prosecutions arising out industrial fatalities
• Merchant Retail Group Plc v. Northumberland County Council  (Bell J  13th April 2000 – All England Official Transcript 2000) Local authority’s liability for flooding
• Cambridge Water Co v. Eastern Counties Leather Plc  [1994] 2 AC 264
  Rylands -v- Fletcher - chemical solvent - pollution of underground water supply
• Scott-Whitehead v NCB [1987] 2 EGLR 227
  Liability for contamination of salt minewater of river used for agricultural irrigation
  

Lawrence has extensive experience of product liability cases including those involving food products; agrochemicals; petrochemicals; pharmaceuticals and other medical products; electrical equipment; and exposure to contaminants.  He has been instructed in the Sudan Red litigation, the Skania 4 Series Group Action (defective lorry designs), Powertrain Group Action (exposure to defective metal working fluids), UPVC pinking claims, litigation in respect of defective UV lamps, flooding claims arising out of defectively manufactured radiators installed in large commercial premises, defective hip prosthesis, heart defibrillators and defective food and food packaging claims.