Two Expert Profiles
Financial / Forensic Accountants
- ACA / FCA (ICAEW)
- ACCA / FCCA
- CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst)
- CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner)
- CVA (Certified Valuation Analyst)
Construction Quantum Experts
- MRICS / FRICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors)
- FCIArb (Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators)
- PQS (Professional Quantity Surveyor)
- MCIArb (Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators)
Experience Requirements
A qualified contract loss expert witness should demonstrate active practice in the relevant field; 10+ years quantifying contract losses; a history of CPR Part 35 expert reports; prior court, arbitration, or adjudication testimony; and professional indemnity insurance at appropriate levels for the claim value.
CPR Part 35 Compliance
Under CPR Part 35 and the accompanying Practice Direction, an expert witness owes an overriding duty to help the court on matters within their expertise. This duty overrides any obligation to the party instructing them. The expert must provide independent, objective evidence, not act as an advocate for their client's case.
In The Ikarian Reefer[1993], Cresswell J set out seven principles including: the expert's opinion must be unbiased; the expert should state all material facts and assumptions; and the expert should not omit to consider material facts that detract from their concluded opinion. Experts must distinguish between facts and opinion, and between matters within their expertise and matters requiring legal conclusion.
Solicitors may instruct a Single Joint Expert (SJE) directed by the court, or each party may appoint their own party-appointed expert (PAE). In either case, the CPR Part 35 duties apply equally. Joint expert meetings and joint statements are common in quantum disputes to narrow the issues before trial.
Sector Expertise
The right contract loss expert must understand the sector's economics, a construction quantum expert is not interchangeable with a software contract loss expert. Industry comparables, margin structures, and trading patterns differ materially between sectors. We match experts to cases by sector as well as by loss type. Browse our sector specialists and qualification requirements.