Julia Norris

Practice Areas

Litigation

Professional Negligence

Financial Services and Tax Claims

Career

Julia is recognised as a Leader in the Field in the Chambers UK Guide and a Leading Lawyer in the Legal 500 UK Guide in Professional Negligence where she is noted as being an ‘excellent litigator’, ‘first class‘ and ‘extremely hard working, very bright and unfazed’.

Julia has also been shortlisted for Partner of the Year in the Law Society’s Manchester Legal Awards.

Julia specialises in ‘big ticket’ litigation with a particular expertise in professional negligence claims of all types. Typically instructed on multi million pound matters, Julia’s clients include high profile individuals, sports and media personalities and well known national corporations. She advises on a variety of general litigation matters as well as professional negligence claims and construction litigation. Julia is particularly known for her experience in financial services litigation and was one of the first in her field to be instructed to advise on high profile and controversial film scheme tax partnerships including Eclipse 35. Julia has also been involved in commercial construction contract disputes and is part of the specialist Construction Disputes Team at the firm. Julia has been interviewed and quoted in a number of general and specialist publications including the Telegraph, FT Adviser, Citywire, Money Marketing and IFA Online.

Client testimonials provided to Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners:

“Julia Norris is quite simply one of the very best in the business. Her calm professionalism hides a formidable resolve. Julia is the person you want on your side when you face a tough legal challenge. Julia knows how to focus on victory, and disregard all extraneous diversions”

“Julia Norris is a highly specialised and competent litigator who achieves excellent results for her clients”

“Julia Norris is a quite outstanding solicitor who has garnered great experience in this field of practice”

“Julia Norris is a very bright and dedicated professional negligence expert”

"The high level of dedication and compassion that Julia Norris has shown is comforting in what has been a very stressful time. She brings a personal touch to the proceedings along with uttermost professionalism and expertise."

“Julia is very passionate and forthright in her work and determined to get good results for her clients”

“She impresses on commercial knowledge, communication and turning the language of law into plain English.”

"I was given a great degree of information and transparency. Things were explained to me in simple terms which was very reassuring. I was very impressed with Julia Norris and I felt she was living and breathing my case and certainly wanted the resolution that I wanted."

“The skill, determination and persistence of Julia Norris and the team at FS Legal combined to achieve a fantastic outcome to my claim. She took the time to guide me through the legal minefield and was always there to deal with questions in a helpful and practical fashion. I would recommend Julia to anyone, especially for high value and complex matters”

” I have dealt with a number of lawyers in business and I have to say that Julia Norris is simply outstanding. Julia combined an impressive level of skill and experience with a practical, dogged determination to get me the best result possible — that is exactly what she did. Not only that, she was a delight to deal with and very down to earth”

Career history

FS Legal – Partner, 2014 to date

Pannone LLP – Senior Associate, 2006 – 2014

Wacks Caller – Solicitor, 2004 – 2006

Work Highlights

Notable cases

Halsall v Champion Consulting Ltd [2017] EWHC 1079 (QB)

Represented the claimants in a £6M claim arising out of tax avoidance schemes. This widely reported case is believed to be one of the first claims of this type to reach the courts.

Anthony Barness and Otrs v Formation Group Pls & Otrs

Representing one of the 150 defendants in this multi million pound claim brought by over 260 separate claimants. The claims concern tax avoidance schemes, football agent disputes and allegations of fraudulent misrepresentation.

Fine v Greystone Financial Services Limited (2020)

Represented the Claimant in a £4.6M claim against former financial adviser.

Magic Carpet (Commercials) Limited, Jerry Holt, Jackie Holt (2021) v Qubic Tax Limited and Otrs

Represented the Claimants in a £2.3M against former accountants and tax promoter.

Advising on a £2.6 claim against well-known solicitors and accountants regarding losses arising from a £20M corporate transaction.

Acting in a £2.3M loss of opportunity negligence claim against a firm of solicitors.

Advising on a £12M+ claim arising from undisclosed commissions against a tax promoter and an accountancy firm together with a related professional negligence loss of opportunity claim against a firm of solicitors for allowing the negligence claims against the other two Defendants to become time barred.

Acting on a £6M+ claim against tax promoter, Qubic Tax Limited, and an accountancy firm for recommending a high-risk tax scheme. Along with an associated claim against the client's former solicitors for negligently pursuing the latter and allowing negligence claims to expire.

Acting in a negligence claim against solicitors for £5M+ losses arising from a £15M corporate sale.

Representing the claimants in a £9M action arising out of EBT and EFURBs tax mitigations schemes in a claim against their tax advisers and accountants.

Represented a high profile claimant in a £22M claim against his former solicitors, a well known national firm, concerning the acquisition of a substantial shareholding of a UK PLC.

Representing the claimants in a £4M+ claim against a firm of solicitors in a loss of opportunity claim.

Represented 300+ claimants in a £3M+ claim against a firm of solicitors arising out of the promotion and sale of a land banking scheme involving four substantial land sites across the UK.

Advising on a £3M+ claim against and IFA firm arising from a negligent pension transfer.