Professional indemnity claims support for law firms: Why it matters

01

Why PI claims are different

PI claims often involve allegations of professional misconduct or negligence, raising reputational stakes.

Legal privilege, confidentiality, and timelines are sensitive.

02

Typical challenges firms face without strong claims advocacy

• Delayed or poorly drafted claim notifications.
• Multiple parties involved (insurer, defence counsel, broker, firm) without coordination.
• Firms are left managing complex communications and insurer expectations on their own.

03

The Willis approach to claims support

At Willis, we provide:

• Early-stage triage: Helping the firm assess if, when and how to notify.
• Policy alignment: Ensuring the insurer interprets wording as intended and in the interest of the firm.
• Defence strategy: Liaising with appointed counsel and pushing for alignment.
• Dispute resolution: Actively negotiating with insurers if issues arise.

We act as the bridge between the legal, the commercial, and the contractual, making the claims process smoother.

04

Case study (Fictionalised)

A commercial law firm faced a high-profile claim after a large real estate transaction fell through. The client alleged negligent advice and sought damages of over £1m. Initial insurer response raised issues with how the matter had been notified.

Following the appointment of Willis as the broker, we worked with the firm to reconstruct the notification context, challenge the insurer’s response on cover, and maximise cover including the payment of all defence costs that were sought.

05

Common claims issues we help resolve

At Willis, we guide firms through:

• Late or ambiguous notifications.
• Disputes over cover, including the payment of rectification or defence costs.
• Coverage concerns due to historic M&A activity or firm restructure.
• Claims straddling different policy types (e.g. PI and Cyber).