Abigail Smith

Abigail is an Associate solicitor within our UK Construction team and is a member of both our Property and Real Estate and Financial Institutions sector groups. Her practice includes high value construction disputes, as well as professional indemnity and W&I claims.

Abigail has experience in the global insurance market, representing leading international brokers, firms, and banks.

Prior to joining SDV Fenchurch, Abigail was as an Associate in the Financial Services Disputes and Investigations team at Eversheds Sutherland, where she trained. At Eversheds, Abigail specialised in resolving high value and complex insurance disputes on behalf of policyholders, brokers and other large corporates.

Abigail advises policyholders, brokers and other professionals on a broad range of complex insurance coverage and professional negligence disputes. She has particular experience in construction and professional indemnity matters, regularly advising developers and contractors on recoveries from insurers in connection with post-Grenfell cladding liabilities and Building Safety Act exposures. Her experience also includes acting for a Tier 1 contractor in relation to insurance and recovery claims exceeding £20 million, and successfully securing cover for the owners of a major data centre following the theft of extensive cabling, despite insurers alleging fraudulent misrepresentation.

Abigail has acted in a range of high-value financial and professional services disputes, including advising a leading international actuarial firm in the defence of a £50 million professional negligence claim, securing a multi-million-pound indemnity for a public university following a coverage dispute, and recovering substantial sums from accountants’ professional indemnity insurers for victims of an organised fraud.

She has also advised brokers in significant negligence claims and worked on complex cross-border disputes involving major financial institutions, insurers and reinsurers across the Middle East, Asia and the UK.