• PARTNERS
  • Antony Smith
  • Michael Archer
  • Sheena Sood
  • John Henderson
  • Paul Redfern
  • Stephen Chessher
  • Rhian Howell
  • Ed Anderson
  • Heidi Kapadia
  • Simon Delves
  • Tara Cosgrove
  • Joe Eizenberg
  • Niamh Loughran
  • Tom Pemberton
  • James Hutchinson
  • Damian McPhun
  • Royston Pendley
  • Sarah Conroy
  • Will Buckby
• ASSOCIATES
• SOLICITORS
• CLAIMS HANDLING
• CONSULTANTS

Education
University of Wales, Cardiff
LLB

Admitted
England and Wales 1996

Partner in Beale and Company
2006

Main areas of practice

• Construction and Engineering
• Insurance
• Professional Liability

Rhian Howell

Rhian Howell
Partner

Rhian has previously worked at Morgan Cole and Beachcroft Wansbroughs in the area of professional indemnity and joined Beale and Company to open their Bristol office in 2006.

Rhian acts for a number of different professions but her chief area of expertise are claims against lawyers, construction professionals and D&O liability, with a reputation for dealing with substantial multi-party claims for primary and excess layer insurers. Rhian has a particular reputation for dealing with fraud and dishonest assistance claims.

Rhian was a panel lawyer for the Solicitors Indemnity Fund prior to its run-off and has continued to act for lawyers since the arrival of open market Insurers. Rhian has acted for a number of insurers both within and outside the London insurance market and is frequently called upon to provide policy and coverage advice. Rhian also has a particular interest in acting for professional clients facing disciplinary proceedings having represented barristers, accountants and architects being prosecuted by their professional bodies.

Rhian’s notable decisions include the Court of Appeal decision of Cranfield v Bridgegrove and examples of recent instructions include:

Professional negligence: acting for solicitors and their primary and excess layer insurers in a claim arising out of a multi million pound fraud carried out on a national lender, acting on behalf of a barrister involving litigation lasting over 30 years involving 4 sets of proceedings, advising insurers on coverage of a claim against a construction company for negligent design and build of a hospital under D&C policy wording.

D&O liability: acting for a large construction company and its insurers in relation to a claim of unjust enrichment/ bribery/ conspiracy/ blackmail and dishonest assistance in a multi million pound fraud, acting in a £10m claim against statutory officers and key company employees arising out of a large scale construction project which forced the company into administration.

Rhian regularly provides training to insurers and brokers on Solicitors minimum terms, construction and D&O policy wordings and strategy and tactics on handling claims.

Rhian has had several cases reported in the Court of Appeal and is also a strong advocate of ADR, having taken many cases to successful mediation. Rhian is recommended as a leading lawyer in Chambers and Partners where she is described as an “effective performer who gets great results through hard work and determination and impresses with her quick grasp of the problems at hand”.

"She fights her client's corner very hard indeed and has a great instinct for the points at stake in each case."
Chambers and Partners UK 2013