Chris Ritchie is a partner in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group in the Arthur Cox Belfast Office in Northern Ireland.

Chris has represented insurers and large corporates in Northern Ireland over many years, building up a reputation for sound commercial advice on technical matters but always with the overall goal of problem resolution in mind. His opponents have identified him as an amiable but strategic practitioner and “a conscientious but unshowy lawyer who gets on with the job”. His practice in the insurance sphere includes EL/PL/EPL, Health and Safety, Motor and Professional indemnity.

In addition to expertise in the fields of public procurement and judicial review, Chris also has vast experience in the areas of defamation, libel and reputation management, providing advice to high-profile clients on both contentious and non-contentious matters. This guidance is shaped by a deep understanding of client sectors and backgrounds along with the complex challenges they face.

Relevant Experience

• Advising medical device manufacturers on handling of claims in Northern Ireland, co-ordinating with global defence strategies
• Advising a client in relation to judicial review of Energy for Waste project at both first instance and at Court of Appeal
• Advising household name pharmaceutical companies on procurement challenges
• Advising a number of hip implant manufacturers in relation to defective product liability claims.as part of global defence team
• Advising TUV in NI in respect of a number of claimants alleging implantation of defective implants made by Poly Implant Prosthese
• Advising media companies on defamation claims in Northern Ireland
• Advising an insured coach company sued by over 50 claimants after driver suffered vaso vagal fit, rendering him (on our case) an automaton. Relying on strong medical evidence that the driver’s medical condition could not have been identified beforehand, we were able to negotiate a substantial discount on damages in each individual case
• Issued judicial review of public procurement tender in respect of Nutritional Supplements resulting in the tender being withdrawn
• Defended surveyor in respect of 47 claims brought by individuals as a result of property scam in Turkey.
• Successful suit on behalf of consultant anaesthetist catastrophically injured whilst in ambulance – damages of £1.4m recovered after commencement of hearing