Chris Wilkes

Chris Wilkes is a Partner with over 40 years’ experience in insurance and reinsurance disputes. Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and respected coverage lawyers in the Market, he has long been recognised in the leading legal directories, including time in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame and a Tier 2 ranking in Chambers & Partners. He is also acknowledged as a leading Product Liability lawyer.

Chris has acted across all major classes of insurance and reinsurance, with particular expertise in Construction (including DSU, where he is a contributor to the market’s leading textbook), Property Damage, Business Interruption, Energy, and Product Liability.

His track record spans many of the most high‑profile London Market losses of the past four decades, from Piper Alpha through to the FCA’s Covid‑19 Business Interruption Test Case. He has acted in numerous significant reported cases, including:

• XYZ v Schering and Others – a landmark oral contraceptive product liability Test Case
• Amey v Cornhill
• Kennecott v Allianz and Others
• Mitsui v Metropolitan Police – for which his team won Insurance Team of the Year at the Legal Business Awards
• China Taiping Covid BI Arbitration – which secured Arbitration Team of the Year at the Legal Business Awards

Chris has represented clients in the Supreme Court in 4 cases, and over 20 times in The Court of Appeal, reflecting his reputation as a trusted adviser on matters of market‑wide importance.

Chris’ practice is truly global. Over the years he has handled insurance and reinsurance disputes in over 40 jurisdictions, covering every continent and many cross jurisdictional disputes. His work has included:

• Major hydro‑electric projects in India, the Philippines, Peru, Georgia and Uganda
• Power station losses in North Korea, Japan, Brazil, Turkey, Pakistan and Colombia
• Fires and explosions at refineries and chemical plants in Israel, Egypt, India, Canada, Italy and the United States
• Significant product liability claims in the Netherlands, Israel, Canada, China and the United States
• Construction matters including:
  • The Panama Canal extension
  • A major airport development in Pakistan
  • The Atlantis Hotel, Dubai
  • A combined oil refinery and power plant project in Italy