Paul Castellani

Practice Areas

Paul is a partner in our London office who is a professional liability specialist. He qualified in England and Wales in 1998.

Paul specialises in the defence of professionals, particularly solicitors, barristers, surveyors, IT, financial and insurance industry professionals. With over 25 years’ experience, Paul frequently handles complex claims often involving multiple parties. He has been instructed in some of the leading Court of Appeal decisions in relation to wasted costs, scope of duty and foreseeability of loss.

He also advises insurers in relation to coverage issues arising under professional liability policies and multiple other lines of insurance including legal indemnities (such as rights to light).

Paul is a member of the British Insurance Law Association (BILA), and ranked as a leading practitioner in both The Legal 500 UK and Chambers UK legal directories.

Work Highlights

Paul is currently representing many large firms of solicitors and barristers (and lawyers in other countries, including “offshore” jurisdictions) in claims valued at up to £200 million. He is also acting for many insurance brokers facing claims in the marine and property sectors in particular, including current proceedings in the Commercial Court. Paul is also advising insurers in relation to the recent collapse of a large law firm arising from client account theft.

Miller -v- Irwin Mitchell [2024] – acting for the solicitor at first instance and on appeal in establishing that no duties were owed to a caller to a legal helpline, including no duty to contact a potential defendant to ensure it had complied with its own insurance obligations. An important case on assumption of duty and scope.

Clewer -v- Higgs [2023] – acting for the solicitor in striking out a claim due to service errors by the claimant.

Karis -v- Howard Kennedy [2022] – acting for the solicitor in an £18m commercial property related claim. Claim discontinued during 21 day trial and formally retracted by the claimant in open court.

Burleigh House -v- Irwin Mitchell [2021] – successful strike out on the basis that a “non-assignment” clause in terms of business prohibited the claim.