Jane has more than 25 years’ experience as a commercial litigator, with a particular focus on professional liability work for a wide range of leading professional firms where she looks after a full spectrum of legal needs including defending claims, advising on risk management and handling complex and highly sensitive regulatory (FRC) and disciplinary matters, both for individuals and firms.
Jane has acted for more than two thirds of the top 20 accountancy and audit firms (including three of the Big 4) and for 13 of the top 25 global networks and associations.
Her full understanding of the issues faced by global networks extends to advising on all areas of governance and to working with clients to establish or remodel existing structures and/or in relation to mergers. Many of the matters Jane works on have an international or multi-jurisdictional dimension.
Expertise
- Professional negligence
- Regulatory investigations (FRC)
- Commercial disputes
- Disciplinary matters
- Drafting, updating and advising upon terms of business
- Constitutional documentation
- Risk management protocols
Experience
- Represented key individuals in relation to high-profile FRC investigations into events related to or arising from audit work undertaken for Carillion and BHS.
- Assisted the Special Administrators at a Big 4 accounting firm on an action seeking damages in excess of £20 million against the company’s former auditor.
- Defended insolvency practitioners at a Big 4 firm against a substantial claim for negligence brought by the former directors and shareholders of the insolvent companies. The claim was struck out with indemnity costs awarded in the client’s favour.
- Defended a claim brought against the auditor of a high-profile law firm that collapsed with a considerable indebtedness. The case raised novel issues of causation and quantum of loss. Having been robustly defended in the early stages, formal proceedings were not pursued by the liquidators. The claim is now statute-barred.
- Helped a Big Four client to manage a substantial claim brought by a former client in relation to an unexpected and substantial tax charge arising on a high-profile share sale in excess of £100 million. The case (which also involved a magic circle law firm) raised complex questions of causation and contribution.
Recognition
Recognised by The Legal 500 2024 as a Leading Individual for Professional Negligence
Member of the Audit and Assurance Faculty at the Institute of Chartered Accountants
Recognised by The Legal 500 as a leading individual for Professional Negligence
Jane “is extremely pragmatic; she applies common sense and has a superb command of the technical aspects of her subject”, with advice that is “second to none; she cuts through the complexity and delivers advice with superb clarity”
The Legal 500 2020
“always demonstrates considerable knowledge and experience, is always tremendously supportive and really rolls her sleeves up and gets involved”
The Legal 500 2018
Career
Jane qualified as a solicitor in 1992. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2023, she worked at the following firms:
- Reed Smith
- Gowling WLG
- Reynolds Porter Chamberlain
- Simmons & Simmons