Erich joined Hugh James in 2021 as a Senior Associate in the Financial Mis-Selling team. He specialises in recovering compensation relating to regulated and unregulated investments, insurance, consumer credit agreements, pensions, mortgages and other financial products.

Erich has specialised in complex multi-claimant litigation, with a strong track record of leading financial group litigation cases. He was involved most recently in the successful high-profile irresponsible payday lending test case Kerrigan & Ors v Elevate Credit International Ltd t/a Sunny as reported in the Law Gazette.

Over the years, he has built-up wider experience in commercial litigation, data breach litigation, business interruption, insurance litigation, professional negligence, and financial mis-selling.

Erich began his legal career with Barings Solicitors, whom he joined in 2012 as a paralegal after obtaining a First-Class Honours’ degree with the University of Manchester. He completed his training contract and qualified in 2016 before becoming one of the firm’s Directors in 2017.

Experience

• Erich successfully co-led complex consumer credit proceedings before the High Court, where he represented a group of 352 Claimants alleging payday loan ‘mis-selling’ and irresponsible lending in the matter of Kerrigan & Ors v Elevate Credit International Ltd t/a Sunny full Judgment available here. Triable issues incl: FSMA 2000, FCA regulations, unfair relationships, irresponsible lending, affordability, repeat borrowing, excessive interest rates, usage to finance gambling and exacerbation of clinical depression.
• He has also acted in other leading cases against a series of payday lenders, including successfully representing 250 Claimants who resisted a scheme stay application so that the claims could be processed by the Defendant lender as complaints and thereafter referred to the Financial Ombudsman Service in the matter of Pyne & Ors v Curo Transatlantic Ltd t/a Wageday Advance (unrep, Birmingham High Court, 30-Nov-2018).
• Erich has acted in a successful volume campaign of FCA financial mis-selling complaints on behalf of in excess of 100,000 clients against a mobile phone retailer which concerned application of the ICOBS regulations, negligent suitability advice and pressure selling tactics.
• Erich also represents clients in business interruption insurance litigation, a topical subject in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and its effect on businesses across the UK, where he successfully acted for a wholesale textile manufacturer for a well-known online clothing retailer.

Career History

• Senior Associate at Hugh James: 2021
• Director at Barings Solicitors: 2017
• Qualified: 2016
• Trained at Barings Solicitors: 2013

Education

• BPP Manchester, Legal Practice Course: 2015
• University of Manchester, LLB Law (Hons) First: 2011
• Griffith College Dublin, LLB Irish Law (Hons) First: 2008

Memberships

• The Law Society