Litigation: TAG panel firm vigorously to defend itself

A three-partner firm in Yorkshire is first to be named in The Accident Group (TAG) litigation, it has emerged.


Mr Justice Aikens ruled last month that the case being brought by TAG underwriter Winterthur against Sheffield-based Ashington Denton should continue in the Commercial Court, but with input from the Queen's Bench Division (QBD) to deal with the personal injury aspects.


However, the arrangements are subject to the agreement of Mr Justice Eady, the judge in charge of the QBD lists. Lawyers for the TAG panel firms had argued that the whole case should be transferred to the QBD.


Philip Aveyard, senior partner of Ashington Denton, which is being represented by the London office of Berrymans Lace Mawer, said the case would be vigorously defended. 'At the moment we are the only firm named but there are various discussions taking place between the claimant and the defendant with a view to how a group litigation order might operate,' he added. The TAG panel was made up of 700 firms.


The next hearing, which will deal with the court's management of the case, will take place on 14 October.


Richard Spafford, the partner at City firm Richards Butler advising Winterthur, declined to comment.


Frank Maher, partner at Liverpool-based firm Legal Risk, who is acting for a number of other TAG panel firms, said of the group action: 'This is going to run and run for years.'