Sophie Hepburn

Sophie is regularly instructed as sole counsel in insurance matters and also acts as junior counsel in larger insurance and reinsurance disputes. She has advised on a wide range of issues including coverage, policy construction, fair presentation, aggregation, allocation, quantum, subrogation, contribution, and challenges to arbitral awards.

Her current and recent work includes:

• Acting for Insurers in a complex D&O coverage dispute concerning defence costs and issues arising from alleged criminal conduct (in a team led by Peter MacDonald Eggers KC).
• Acting for the Claimant policyholders in a multi-million-pound marine war risks insurance dispute concerning the detention of a vessel and claims for constructive total loss and sue and labour expenses (in a team led by Peter MacDonald Eggers KC).
• Acting for the Claimant policyholders in a substantial dispute concerning claims under a property insurance policy arising out of defects in residential properties (led by Jawdat Khurshid KC).
• Acting for the Claimant policyholders in a cargo insurance claim arising from the alleged misappropriation of agricultural commodities.
• Acting for the Claimant policyholders in a complex business interruption insurance claim in the energy sector.
• From July to December 2025, undertook a six-month secondment in Kennedys’ insurance team, acting for insurers in a wide range of insurance disputes across professional indemnity, D&O, crime, political risk, marine/cargo, property and trade credit insurance. Matters included the high-profile Australian Greensill insurance litigation, which concerns trade credit insurance claims following the collapse of Greensill and involving issues of non-disclosure and misrepresentation.
• Acted for the successful aviation hull all risks insurers in the multi-billion-pound Russian Aircraft LP Claims [2025] EWHC 1430 (Comm), concerning the loss of aircraft following the invasion of Ukraine (in a team led by Gavin Kealey KC).
• Acted for the successful Claimants in Delos Shipholding SA & Ors v Allianz Global Corporate and Specialty SE & Ors (“WIN WIN”), a major marine war risks insurance dispute concerning a CTL claim for the detained vessel “WIN WIN” (in a team led by Peter MacDonald Eggers KC). The Claimants succeeded both in the Commercial Court and Court of Appeal: [2024] EWHC 719 (Comm); [2025] EWCA Civ 1019.
• Acted for Insurers in a complex construction-related insurance dispute arising from a property fire.
• Acted for Insurers (led by Peter MacDonald Eggers KC and Sandra Healy) in a multi-million-pound arbitration concerning a dispute under a cyber policy.