Profile

Clare is a Senior Associate based in our Glasgow office. She is also a Solicitor Advocate and appears regularly in courts throughout Scotland. Clare trained with Charles Hennessy & Co and has specialised in civil and commercial litigation since the beginning of her career. She qualified as a solicitor in Scotland in 2007. Clare has worked with Kennedys since it opened in Glasgow and Edinburgh in 2015 and has made a major contribution to the development of the firm’s liability practice in Scotland. She has recently completed the firm’s Future Leaders programme.

Clare represents insurers and self-insureds across the full range of liability matters. Her caseload includes employers’ liability, disease and fatal and catastrophic injury cases and other complex and high-value claims including allegations of historic abuse. She has extensive experience in dealing with fatal accident inquiries and in acting for public sector organisations, including local authorities. 

Clare also has the advantage of having acted for claimants in previous roles, which gives her invaluable tactical and technical insight in advising clients and dealing with opponents. She has a particular knowledge of the emergency services, having worked in-house for Strathclyde Fire & Rescue for two years and having also previously acted for the police authorities. She is an expert in data protection and freedom of information legislation and regularly advises on compliance issues. She has also contributed to Kennedy’s cyber initiative.

Clare has an excellent reputation in the Scottish market. She excels in using her technical knowledge to develop junior members of the liability team. She also tutors part time at the University of Strathclyde on the postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, where she has taught civil litigation, advocacy, personal injury litigation and claims handling to those joining the profession since 2013.

Clare has contributed to two leading Scottish texts – Civil Procedure & Practice (now in its fourth edition) and Practical Advocacy in the Sheriff Court: Skills for Successful Practice. She also regularly delivers training for clients and colleagues.

Clare is a member of the Forum of Insurance Lawyers (FOIL). She is a member of FOIL’s Rules and Procedure Committee for Scotland. She is also involved in mentoring the Schools Mock Court Project, which is led by the Right Hon Lady Dorrian, with three of her six teams in 2017/18 placed in the finals.

Clare has been involved in a number of landmark cases. Her track record of positive results gives clients the confidence to take decisions based on clear and straightforward advice in relation to all their options, including remedies that might not typically be considered.

Qualifications

  • Qualified in Scotland in 2007
"Clare Crawford is noted for providing ‘good advice and strategy’ and her ability to ‘progress cases efficiently’."

Market recognition

  • Recommended Lawyer for 'Personal injury: defendant (Scotland)'
    "Clare Crawford is noted for providing ‘good advice and strategy’ and her ability to ‘progress cases efficiently’."
    The Legal 500 UK 2018/19

Work highlights

  • Obtained a historic decision from a five judge bench of the Inner House of the Court of Session, which reversed a 40-year-old decision on the meaning of “effectually executed diligence” in a receivership; granting her client a preference as an inhibiting creditor over a pre-existing floating charge holder - MacMillan v T Leith Developments Ltd (In Receivership & Liquidation) [2017].
  • Extensive experience in dealing with historic abuse cases having been engaged in defending approximately 50 claims for one charitable organisation, which led to favourable Court of Session decisions being issued on the basis of time bar. This in-depth knowledge of limitation and its application in practice has enabled her to advise in other contexts, such as in disease cases where date of knowledge arguments are frequently a critical feature.
  • Experienced in assisting and supporting clients in managing the aftermath of fatal incidents and catastrophic events. Clare has dealt with a number of fatal accident inquiries including Alison Hume (collapsed mineshaft), Loch Awe (death of four fishermen), Declain Hainey (death of an infant child) and William McKenzie (death in custody).