This talk, by Andrew Singer KC, will explore the obligations that experts owe to the various parties they engage with in the course of their work, including their own clients, instructing solicitors, and tribunals. It will consider how these duties can sometimes pull in different directions, and how experts are expected to navigate issues of independence, objectivity, and professional integrity, particularly in contentious or high-pressure situations.
Drawing on Andrew’s experience of working with experts and clients across the span of his career, the session will reflect on how these obligations operate in practice rather than just in theory. It will look at common areas of difficulty, where misunderstandings or unrealistic expectations can arise, and how these can be managed constructively to protect both the expert and the integrity of the process.
The talk will cover, among other things:
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The expert’s overriding duty to the court or tribunal and how this interacts with client instructions
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Managing client expectations, including pressure around opinions, scope, and outcomes
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Practical challenges in maintaining independence and credibility
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Common pitfalls seen in expert evidence and how to avoid them
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Lessons learned from real-world interactions between experts, lawyers, and tribunals
Andrew Singer KC
Andrew Singer KC practices almost exclusively in the field of construction and associated professional negligence actions and appears regularly in the Technology & Construction Court and as Counsel in construction-related arbitrations as well as appointments as arbitrator. Andrew enjoys a sizeable construction and technology practice with work derived throughout England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Andrew has also gained wide experience in the provision of procurement advice. His recent reported cases include, OD v Oak Dry, NIHE v Dixons, Amey v Cumbria CC, NIHE v HBL.
His practice also includes Judicial Review challenges largely in the commercial/construction context.
Andrew is an accredited mediator with the ADR Group. He is also an arbitrator and adjudicator and is listed on the TECBAR ADR panels. He also sits as a part-time Judge in the TCC and is a County Court Recorder.