SanMari Martins

SanMari was called to the Bar in 2008 at the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, she completed the Bar Vocational Course at the Inns of Court School of Law in London.

SanMari enjoys a broad civil practice made-up of a blend of advocacy, drafting and advisory work.

SanMari has a busy court practice, she receives instructions to appear in trials, and has experience of handling both lay and expert witnesses. She also appears in appeals, CMCs and interlocutory hearings.

SanMari is a specialist Insurance Law practitioner, her expertise includes all aspects of RTA insurance, (including credit hire and personal injury), Employer’s Liability and Public Liability Insurance.

She is often instructed at an early stage of proceedings by insurers and has a particular specialism in defending fraudulent insurance claims, arising out to RTA’s and other contexts.

She frequently acts in, amongst other things, RTA cases involving allegations of staged/induced/invented accidents, phantoms passenger claims and LVI.

She is also regularly instructed to advise as to litigation tactics and evidence and has extensive experience of multi-track trials involving detailed consideration of intelligence, engineering and telematics evidence.

SanMari came to the Bar as mature student from a commercial background which affords her the ability to provide clients with an innovative and commercial service. Her practice covers a broad range of commercial and chancery litigation at all stages of litigation.

SanMari can advise on tactics and procedure before a contract is terminated. She can provide advice and assistance in progressing claims, assessing and presenting claims for damages, and resolving disputes without litigation. The areas of her commercial practice include, Business contracts, Consumer contracts, Sale of goods (domestic and international), Supply of services and particularly insurance contracts.

SanMari regularly receives instructions from both insurers and the insured in litigation, mediation of policy liability and quantum disputes, including:
• Disputed policy coverage on all types of policies (e.g. EL, PL, products liability, composite commercial, property, goods in transit, professional indemnity, payment protection, legal expenses)
• Defending or advancing claims involving material damage – fire, flood and subsidence; and liability – occupiers’ liability, employers’, professionals’, property owners’, motor, product
• Fraud
• Professional negligence claims involving insurance professionals (e.g. brokers, loss adjusters, loss assessors)
• Subrogated recovery actions by insurers against third parties.

SanMari has a keen interest and is well-versed in marketing and advertising law.

In 2014 she contracted her time out to a new-law based business. She has had hands-on involvement with the development of an animated advertisement which was featured on national television.

Her legal project management experience includes, the delivery of advertising production specific legal advice (data protection, online publication, copyright, regulation of the media, negligent misstatement) and contract drafting.

SanMari is an accomplished Regulatory and Licencing Law practitioner. She has been instructed in a number of cases involving Local Authorities enforcing housing regulations against landlords.

SanMari has a particular interest in Local Authority Enforcement where it overlaps with the Housing Act. She is also regularly instructed to advise as to litigation tactics and evidence.

In 2017 SanMari represented the West Lindsey District Council in the prosecution of four landlords under a selective licensing scheme at the Magistrates Court at Lincoln. Collectively all four landlord incurred fines totalling £213,000 for 15 Offences to comply with selective licensing – to date, believed to be the highest fine in the England and Wales.

SanMari also regularly appears in respect of environmental enforcement including prosecutions in the magistrates’ court in respect of matters under the Environmental Protection Act and in particular in respect of waste. She has advised and represented clients in respect of litigation involving noise abatement notices and other matters relating to noise and the Environmental Protection Act, and has experience of noise cases ranging from noisy birds, barking dogs to loud music and industrial noise.

SanMari has experience of representing professionals in matters brought by their respective profession bodies including, but not limited to;

– The National College for Teaching and Leadership

– The Solicitors Regulation Authority

– ILEX Professional Standards

– General Medical Council

She has been able to draw upon her knowledge gained from working in-house at Solicitor’s firms. Prior to completing pupillage SanMari spend time employed as an advocate with a Legal 500 firm practicing in Costs, Insurance, Personal Injury (including Clinical Negligence), Regulatory (including General Teaching Council prosecution) and Coronial Law. She has appeared at inquests on behalf of medical (doctors, dentists, nurses) practitioners and insurers, involving both medical, scientific and reconstructive evidence.

SanMari has a growing Housing Law practice, she receives instructions from local authorities, housing associations, private landlords and tenants. She has acted in a range of housing law claims inclusive of possession, warrants, anti-social behaviour, and unlawful eviction disputes.

SanMari’s housing law practice often overlaps with immigration law. SanMari regularly advises and appears before the First-Tier Tribunal and the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), on behalf of lay clients. She is committed to representing all, irrespective of their background or financial standing and, when needed, also offer pro-bono representation.