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Southampton solicitors ordered to pay £75,000 for negligence

Hepherd Winstanley & Pugh, a Southampton firm of solicitors, has been ordered to pay £75,000 in damages to UCB Bank for negligence and breach of retainer.

HWP failed to draw the bank’s attention to a £20,000 limit on collateral security over a property in Petersfield.

UCB also claimed that, in contravention of its standard instructions to solicitors, the law firm failed to seek or accept instructions about the loan from the banks commercial mortgage department.

The court reduced the banks claim by 25% for contributory negligence.

UCB Bank plc v Hepherd Winstanley & Pugh, Court of Appeal (Peter Gibson, Pill and Chadwick LJJ) 29 July 1999.

John Wardell (instructed by Dibb Lupton Alsop) appeared for the appellant; Allen Dyer (instructed by Blake Lapthorn) appeared for the respondent.

PLS News 30/7/99

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