Practice Areas
Expertise
Clare is a dispute resolution specialist with broad-ranging expertise in commercial litigation, mediation and arbitration. She regularly guides clients successfully through the litigation process – from the first ‘letter before action’ through to trial and appeal.
Before joining SA Law, Clare worked for a number of years in the City of London. She advises clients on a variety of complex contract matters, including allegations of breach, termination and misrepresentation. Many of her cases have a strong international element.
Clare also advises businesses on managing and mitigating risk, particularly when terminating long-term contracts and assessing the validity of clauses in terms and conditions.
Clare has considerable experience of obtaining urgent injunctive relief, including freezing orders. She also specialises in obtaining information and documents from non-parties to litigation under the Court’s Norwich Pharmacal jurisdiction.
Clare has a particular interest in education law. She has acted for independent schools on sensitive issues including withdrawals and exclusions of pupils, bullying, complaints/allegations of breach of contract made by parents and the recovery on unpaid fees and fees in lieu of notice. She has also acted for universities facing allegations of discrimination from students.
Clare also advises parents in relation to education matters. This includes school admission appeals both in relation to primary school admissions and secondary school admissions. She also advises in relation to appeals against the exclusion of pupils and in making formal complaints in relation to a variety of issues.
Clare advises clients on defending prosecutions for alleged breaches of the Trade Descriptions Act and its successor, The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.
She also provides practical and commercial advice where there has been a breakdown of relations within a company or a partnership and advises on the legal remedies available in such situations.
Clare also deals with a significant number of professional negligence claims, predominantly against solicitors.
Clare is Governor for Crabtree School in Harpenden.
Key Experience and Clients
Clare works with a broad range of commercial clients that range from start-ups to FTSE 100 companies in many different sectors. She also acts for local authorities, not-for-profit organisations and independent schools.
Clare also represents a number of individuals, particularly as part of her professional negligence and education practices.
Her reported cases include:
- Heaton and others v Axa Equity & Law Life Assurance Society and others [2002] 2 All ER 961 (acting for Axa)
- Silven Properties and another v The Royal Bank of Scotland plc and others [2004] 4 All ER 484 (acting for RBS)
- Thomson v Christie Manson & Woods Limited and others [2005] EWCA Civ 555 (acting for the Marquess of Cholmondeley)
She also worked on litigation arising out of the BCCI liquidation, acting for the liquidators.
Professional Memberships
Clare is a member of The Education Law Association (ELAS)
Career History
2011: Associate Solicitor, SA Law
2008: Solicitor, SA Law
2001: Solicitor, Lawrence Graham (now LG)
1998: Solicitor, Pinsent Curtis (now Pinsent Masons)
1998: Qualified, Pinsent Curtis
Awards and Accolades
Clare received the prestigious Law Society award for topping her class in the Legal Practice Course.
Languages
Basic French
Personal Information
When not in the office, Clare is kept busy by her two young children and loves exploring the great outdoors with them.