Firm splits from insurance joint venture to provide conditional fee agreements

INDEMNITY: London practice Williams Holden Cooklin Gibbons offers service to defendants

A niche professional indemnity firm which aims to offer conditional fee agreements (CFAs) to defendants has been launched in London after splitting from an innovative insurance law joint venture.

WHCG - Williams Holden Cooklin Gibbons - is the brainchild of Hugh Williams, founder of Williams Davies Meltzer, now Plexus Law.

Plexus Law was only formed late last year as a professional indemnity joint venture between Williams Davies Meltzer, and London firm Badhams, which otherwise specialises in fast-track personal injury work.

However, Mr Williams said there had been a 'difference of view on how to manage the business'.

Although one option had been for him to stay and resolve the problems, 'it was acceptable [to both] for me to go off and start afresh rather than to reconfigure Plexus'.

It came down to which side would buy the other out, and in the end Badhams bought out Mr Williams.

Various clients from Lloyd's of London and the composite insurance market have moved with Mr Williams.

WHCG has three other partners: Antony Holden and Nicholas Gibbons, formerly assistants at Plexus, and Andrew Cooklin, who leaves Vizard Oldham, where he was an assistant.

Mr Williams said the aim is to move away from factory-style insurance.

'Nobody is really getting to grips with offering CFAs to defendants,' he added.

'It is actually quite difficult to deal with CFAs in the insurance factory environment where there is not much enthusiasm to share risk.'

He argued that claimants are currently 'getting away quite lightly', but where it was proper to take a success fee, WHCG would aim to do so.

Tim Oliver, senior partner of Badhams/Plexus - which is one partnership divided by different branding - said Plexus would continue to grow.

He said there were offers out to lateral hires to add to the 18 fee-earners who remained with the firm.

Sian Davies and Daniel Meltzer stood down from the Williams Davies Meltzer partnership before the joint venture - which in part led to it happening - and continue to work at Plexus as associates.

Neil Rose