Derek Adamson
Partner - Head of Occupational Health and Casualty, DWF LLP
Derek has over 36 years’ experience in insurance work having trained as a solicitor with Buller Jeffries, qualifying in 1981 and becoming a partner in that firm in 1985. Following Buller Jeffries merger with DWF in May 2012 Derek was appointed National Head of Occupational Health and Casualty Group in DWF.
Derek acts as key account manager to some of DWF’s larger insurance and manufacturing clients, taking responsibility for the provision of service. This involves developing relationships, coordinating resources and ensuring delivery of a high quality service.
Throughout his career, Derek has advised on commercial product liability claims arising from major events or safety issues. Derek has major clients in the automotive field both in manufacture of vehicles and in the automotive supply chain.
He has also built up extensive specialism in insurance policy interpretation, development of insurance law particularly in connection with mesothelioma claims, legionnaires’ disease, fire and construction work. He has extensive experience of preparation for and advocacy at substantial mediations.
Derek now has two major Supreme Court successes to his name. He led the successful team that acted for Zurich in the EL Policy “Trigger” Litigation in SC (2012) and for the same client in another landmark mesothelioma coverage case, Zurich v IEGL SC (2015).
Derek was a Deputy District Judge from 1993 until 1998 and has been listed for many years by Chambers directory as the leading individual in defendant personal injury work in the Midlands. The Trigger litigation and the IEGL case together with a number of group litigation cases have widened his reputation to a national level.
In May 2014 he gave evidence on behalf of insurers and defence solicitors to the Justice Select Committee of the House of Commons on mesothelioma claims and LASPO.
Legal 500 have described him as ‘a litigator of the highest calibre’. Clients appreciate his “well-considered advice and strategy.” He is “a very good ally to have on your side when the going gets tough,” Chambers note that he “brings both enthusiasm, and a marked grasp of the details, to the cases on which he works,” while he is also hailed as a “phenomenal litigator” and “very bright, thorough and really goes the full hog.”