Andrew Prynne QC is a well known leading advocate who represents claimants and defendants in heavy common law and commercial litigation both at first instance and on appeal. He also represents interested persons in public inquiries and inquests. His wide ranging practice originally developed from his broad grounding as a young junior in the civil, family and criminal courts. His professional standing and long experience is and has long been recognised in the leading directories.
While at 2 Harcourt Buildings, now known as Henderson Chambers, Andrew built up a busy junior practice in the principal areas of accident claims, employment and common law commercial disputes. He was first instructed in public inquiry work by the British Railways Board at the Clapham Inquiry. He established himself as counsel specialising in the then emergent group actions against the pharmaceutical industry ( Pertussis, Opren, Benzodiazepines and Lariam) and then in defending Imperial Tobacco against multiple lung cancer claims.
On taking silk in 1995, Andrew, on the appointment of his leader to the bench, went on to lead the teams that successfully defended the Benzodiazepine actions and the lung cancer claims against Imperial. He went on to lead the team defending Merck in the MMR litigation. He then led teams defending a number of product liability commercial claims relating to contamination of carbonated drinks, petrol, food and drink and packaging.
Andrew has also over many years advised extensively on product regulation, safety and recalls (food, packaging, mobile phones, e-cigarettes, medical devices and pharmaceuticals). He also has appeared in a number of cases relating to the insurance coverage issues in Product liability and property damage policies and has spoken and published on this subject for the British Insurance Law Association.
Andrew was instructed in a number of serious fire damage claims such as that brought by the National Trust when pursuing a claim for the cost of rebuilding the famous Uppark House in West Sussex which was destroyed by a fire caused by hot work on the roof.
Since joining Temple Garden Chambers, Andrew has led in a number of substantial High Court trials and Appeals in the Court of Appeal in claims for serious injury and insurance coverage disputes over property damage as well as some leading credit hire test cases. He developed a niche in quantifying damages for injured professional footballers.
Andrew represented the ejection seat manufacturers, Martin Baker, before the Lincolnshire Coroner at an Inquest into the death of a Red Arrows pilot and the Derbyshire Youth Offending Service at an inquest into the death in custody of a young person. He currently represents the owner of a Hawker Hunter jet in relation to the inquest into the deaths of those who were killed when it crashed at Shoreham Air Show in 2016.
Between 2016 and 2018 Andrew has been representing the defendant in a long running breach of fiduciary duty action in the Chancery Division. Following two adverse judgments against the defendant in 2012 and 2015, Andrew was instructed in late 2016. He then initiated and led a number of successful challenges to the claimant’s case. The claimant had made further serious allegations against the defendant seeking a new account. It was forced to withdraw them shortly before the hearing and conceded that it should pay the defendant his indemnity costs. The claimant was ordered to make an immediate payment.
In the course his work, Andrew has gained valuable experience of the issues arising in transportation accidents, rail, road, marine and aviation. As a life long sailor he has a particular interest in navigation.
Andrew is an accredited mediator and has appeared in a number of commercial arbitrations.