David Keighley was admitted as a solicitor in 1982. Until his retirement from full time practice in September 2016 David was a partner in and Head of Residential property at a Legal 500 firm. Having done so part time whilst in practice, he now uses his extensive experience and understanding of practical conveyancing to cut through the academic niceties and make things relevant for the busy practitioner.

He, in conjunction with a range of commercial providers & local Law Societies, regularly presents at property law conferences, seminars, webinars, audio seminars, training courses and related events.

David is a contributing author for the Law Society Conveyancing Handbook, provides modules for the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) online training course and provides monthly online seminars in conjunction with Legal Futures. He has also acted as a tutor for CILEX Law School and has written for publications including the Law Society’s Property in Practice Magazine and the Solicitors Journal.

Email: davidktraining@outlook.com

Specialism: Property Litigation

James Ballance is a Barrister at Maitland Chambers. Since being called to the Bar in 2009, he has developed a busy advocacy and advisory Commercial Chancery practice. His work has a particular focus on property litigation, including traditional real estate litigation; landlord & tenant claims; rights to light; telecoms claims; and professional negligence litigation relating to property work.

James has a particular interest in the intersection of property law with other fields, such as insolvency. He is a contributor to the forthcoming ‘Company Voluntary Arrangements’ edited Tom Smith QC and Elaine Nolan (OUP, 2022).

Email: jballance@maitlandchambers.com

Specialism: Mortgages

Nigel Clayton is a barrister at Kings Chambers, and a senior member of the Business & Property team. He specialises in property law, and is regularly ranked as a Band 1, leading individual in real estate litigation. He is accredited by the ADR Group as a Civil and Commercial Mediator and sits as a Civil, and Business & Property Court, Recorder on the North Eastern Circuit, principally in Leeds.

 

Nigel regularly speak on property law subjects. He is the editor of Atkin’s Court Forms, Vol 28(1) Mortgages, and edits his own specialist legal information website www.legalmortgage.co.uk

Email: nclayton@kingschambers.com

Specialism: Conveyancing Quality Scheme

Sarah qualified as a solicitor in 1990, and throughout her career, she has been focused on trying to improve the house moving experience for all involved.

Sarah established her own practice, dealing exclusively with residential conveyancing in April 2000 and has seen many changes in conveyancing, along with changes to the market. Sarah believes that solicitors have a crucial role in making sure that the public receive good advice at a stressful time.

For ten years, Sarah has been a member of the Law Society Conveyancing and Land Law Committee, heading the Residential Property sub group. She has been involved in the redrafting of the Protocol Forms, and led the group which drafted the new edition of the Protocol. She is the joint author of the CQS Tool Kit, a regular contributor to the Law Society’s Property in Practice magazine and has been quoted in articles in The Times, The Financial Times, and other media. Sarah sits on the Government Home Buying and Selling Group which is reviewing the way in which house buying is carried out.

Email: sarah@sarahdwight.com

Specialism: Planning

Tom Graham is a barrister, lecturer and author with nearly 40 years of experience in town & country planning, highway law and public law.

He was formerly a solicitor and has had considerable experience in local government and private practice.  Tom was the Chief Solicitor to North Hertfordshire District Council and has held senior positions in local government  and private practice. Tom has acted for developers, house-builders and landowners as a partner in private practice. He has appeared at many local inquiries and in the civil and criminal courts, the Lands Tribunal and in the High Court.

His books include “Contaminated Land” (Jordans 1995), “A Practical Guide to Planning, Highways and Development” (Bath Publishing 2019) and “The Environment Act 2021: A Guide for Planners and Developers” (Bath Publishing June 2022).   Tom is currently writing “ A Practical Guide to Contaminated Land” for Bath Publishing. He has lectured at many seminars in both England and Wales.

Email: gaverstock@gmail.com

Tracy is a property lawyer who has spent over two decades in the legal profession, most recently as managing partner of a Merseyside multi- disciplinary practice and was recently appointed as Lead Assessor for the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS).

Tracy possesses a diverse mix of skills and is highly experienced in operational management and business strategy. She provides valuable practice management support to law firms, particularly in the areas of risk and compliance. Tracy is an experienced trainer working with national training organisations and local law society’s and her area of expertise is in the areas of law firm compliance and quality management standards.

Tracy is passionate about the benefits Lexcel can bring to a practice and it is this passion which saw her appointed to the Law Society Lexcel Panel in 2013. She is a Law Society accredited Lexcel Consultant and a Lexcel Assessor for both the England & Wales standard, and the International standard.

Email: tt@tracythompsonassociates.co.uk

Specialism: Enfranchisement and Right of First Refusal, Service Charge and Property Management

Katie Gray is an experienced real estate junior, acting in a wide range of high-value and complex property disputes. She has a particular interest in disputes involving boundaries, party walls, and restrictive covenants. She was called to the Bar in 2013.

As well as editing the Enfranchisement and Right of First Refusal and Service Charge and Property Management sections of the site, she also writes for the Landlord and Tenant Review and is the co-founder of the Up to Date Property Law Podcast.

Email: katiegray@tanfieldchambers.co.uk

Specialism: Enfranchisement and Right of First Refusal, Service Charge and Property Management

Edward has a broad practice across all areas of property law, and is instructed as sole counsel or as part of a counsel team. He has particular experience in enfranchisement, disputes between neighbours, and landlord and tenant matters, and his work increasingly involves commercial and company law, both with and without a property law aspect.

Edward is frequently in Court in his own right, both in the County Court and the First-tier Tribunal, dealing with applications, hearings and single- or multi-day trials. He has also appeared in the Upper Tribunal and High Court unled, and has experience with urgent and without notice hearings. As part of a counsel team, Edward has appeared in the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court and is assisting with ongoing litigation in the Isle of Man. Edward was also junior counsel in the Court of Appeal on the Kensquare case as per his February article, acting for Ms Boakye and alongside James Fieldsend.

Alongside his cases in court, Edward’s advisory work encompasses a wide spectrum of property matters, whether they are anticipated or ongoing, litigious or transactional.

Edward is also direct access qualified.

Email: edwardblakeney@tanfieldchambers.co.uk

Specialism: Real property, commercial and employment disputes

Richard Alford has an established and growing practice focusing on property and landlord and tenant work. He is delighted to accept instructions in any property law matter, as well as a wide range of commercial disputes.

Richard enjoys technical matters and thrives on difficult cases and tricky points of law. He regularly appears in the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), the County Court and the High Court.

Email: richardalford@tanfieldchambers.co.uk

 

Specialism: Service charges and traditional landlord and tenant litigation

Will is a property specialist and practises in Chambers’ core areas, with a particular emphasis on service charges and traditional landlord and tenant litigation, both in the residential and commercial context.

He is perceived as a trusted practitioner and has been instructed in a number of complex and high-value matters. He has appeared against silk on several occasions.

Email: wbeetson@tanfieldchambers.co.uk

 

Specialism: Commercial, residential and agricultural property litigation

Emma specialises in commercial, residential and agricultural property litigation. Emma advises on a range of landlord and tenant matters such as lease renewals under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, possession claims, rent arrears and service charge recovery and breach of covenant disputes. Emma has particular experience in dealing with contentious property issues arising from agricultural holdings.

Emma is a committee member of the Junior Property Litigation Association in the South West, a member of the Property Litigation Association and Women in Property and is recommended by The Legal 500.

Email: emma.preece@crsblaw.com

 

Specialism: Easements, landlord and tenant, service charges and leasehold enfranchisement

Robyn’s practice covers all areas of property litigation as well as probate and company law. Particular areas of expertise include: easements, landlord and tenant, service charges and leasehold enfranchisement.

Robyn has represented clients at hearings in the County Court, First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), the High Court and Court of Appeal.

Email: clerks@tanfieldchambers.co.uk

 

Specialism: Digital Marketing

A business development professional with over 25 years practical experience in marketing and sales. Over the past 15 years, Pascal has been providing coaching services on all aspects of ‘generating enquiries via the Internet’ to various organisations.

Previously the Chief Executive Officer at The Centre for eBusiness, Pascal now runs his own agency specialising in digital marketing training and content marketing services.

Email: pascal@pascalfintoni.com

 

Specialism: Agricultural Property Disputes

Charlotte advises clients across the real estate sector on a broad range of contentious commercial and agricultural property matters.

Charlotte has experience advising on a range of commercial landlord and tenant issues, including dilapidations, development related disputes, break rights, 1954 Act lease renewals, recovery of rent arrears and property related insolvency matters.

Charlotte’s work also encompasses telecoms disputes, in the context of lease renewals on favourable terms as well as development settings where the goal is redevelopment, be it commercial or residential.

Charlotte also specialises in agricultural property disputes, advising on landlord and tenant matters including agricultural tenancies, occupational rights, security of tenure and estate management as well as property issues such as easements, recovering possession, covenants and access rights.

Charlotte is a member of the Property Litigation Association and Agricultural Law Association.

Email: cbrasher@trowers.com

Specialism: Development Disputes

Emma has extensive experience acting for clients across the real estate sector and advises on all contentious property matters.

Emma has particular expertise in development related disputes, including rights of light where she acts for developers, occupiers and insurers, property related insolvency matters, acting for banks, landlords and insolvency practitioners and telecommunications matters, acting for landlords. Emma is identified as a Key Lawyer in the Legal 500.

“Emma Barnfield is a star who is already making an impact, especially in telecoms.”

The Legal 500 UK 2021

“Emma Barnfield stands out not only for her knowledge of new and complex legislation (particularly, The Electronic Communications Code) but also her understanding of how the other party is likely to react on a particular point. The combination of these two attributes puts Emma in a powerful position in providing clients with sound practical advice and seeing jobs through to a successful outcome.”

Email: ebarnfield@trowers.com

Specialism: Real property; Residential landlord and tenant; Service Charge and Property Management; Enfranchisement; Commercial landlord and tenant

Mattie is a specialist in property litigation. Her practice covers all areas of residential and commercial landlord and tenant, including, service charges, enfranchisement, forfeiture, and LTA 1954 claims. Mattie also practises in all areas of real property, including neighbourly disputes, mortgage litigation and trusts of land. Mattie also has experience in professional negligence claims involving high value development projects.

Email: mgreen@landmarkchambers.co.uk

Kate Burt is a solicitor and founder of HiveRisk.co.uk a boutique compliance and risk management consultancy. Kate and her team work with law firms, real estate businesses and regtech verticals in relation to their regulatory obligations. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kate-burt-hiverisk-co-uk/

Email: kateburt@hiverisk.co.uk

Ian has been around the North East legal scene for over 45 years. He began his career as a Legal Executive for a local firm of solicitors, spending 19 years dealing with both criminal work and civil litigation before founding Cosgrove Costing Limited.

He became an Associate of the Association of Law Cost Draftsmen in 1993, gaining Fellowship status by examination in 1997. He became one of the first Fellows bestowed with Costs Lawyer status in 2007. As a Costs Lawyer, Ian has the right to conduct reserved legal activity under Legal Services Act 2007. This enables him to conduct costs litigation in his own right, without needing to be instructed direct by a solicitor. This has enabled him to build up a significant part of the practice in acting direct for insurance companies, Litigants in Person and going on the Court record to represent his clients.

Ian has regularly attended Detailed Assessment Hearings both in the County Courts of the North of England as well as in the Senior Court Costs Office. He both prepares Bills of Costs and challenges other parties’ costs.

Ian is an accredited trainer authorised by the Costs Lawyers Standard Board and regularly delivers lectures to Solicitors on how to maximise their own costs and to minimise other parties’ costs.

Since the implementation of LASPO, Ian has built up a significant following by both Claimant’s Solicitors and Defendant’s Solicitors in respect of costs budgeting. He regularly prepares budgets and appears at Costs Management Conferences alongside either Counsel or the conducting solicitor.

Ian now spends a lot of time on housing disrepair work acting for both Local Authorities and Housing Associations.

Email: ian.cosgrove@cosgrovecosting.co.uk
Phone: 0191 4928217

Robert Kelly is the Commercial Business Development Manager of Stewart Title. Before joining Stewart Title, Robert was a solicitor dealing with Residential and Commercial Property for over 25 years. With this practical experience of lawyer’s needs, Robert works closely with the Underwriting team to provide the right policy for your title problem.

Stewart Title was one of the originators of title insurance in the UK and offer insurance backed solutions to over 150 standard risks faced by lawyers and their clients relating to both Residential and Commercial Properties via their easy to use on line ordering system Stewart Online Solution (www.stewartsolution.com). For more complicated and development risks our highly experienced underwriters can provide bespoke quotations and policies.

Email: robert.kelly@stewart.com

Wilson’s practice includes property law, with a bias towards contentious commercial property and development law. Having practised in this field for many years, he has developed expertise in the related areas of construction, commercial fraud, planning and related statutory powers, and the enforcement of securities.

Wilson’s commercial property work focuses on all types of contractual disputes, including options, promotion agreements and overage. Much of this work is dealt with by legal expert determination, arbitration, and the High Court challenges of these decisions. Many of these disputes have a heavy focus on planning, engineering, cost and valuation evidence.

Wilson’s practice covers land and landlord and tenant law with a bias towards development work. He also deals with all related compulsory purchase, environmental (contamination), highways, nuisance and planning issues.

A significant proportion of his work is dealt with in arbitration and expert determination, and he is experienced in challenging these decisions. His clients include national developers, central and local government departments, national pub operators, diverse tenant operators and major land owners.

Email: clerks@kingschambers.com

Geraint Wheatley is recognised as a leading junior in the 2022 legal directories, having been ranked as such for a number of years.  Recent commendations in Chambers UK include “Geraint is superb to work with.  He is responsive, commercial and very client-friendly” and “He is a superb trial advocate.  He is a tough negotiator who provides rigorous case analysis and thorough written advice.  He is a joy to work with”. 

He appeared in the leading case on adverse possession of recent times (Thorpe v Frank [2019] EWCA Civ 150), in which the Court of Appeal praised his submissions as “excellent”. 

Geraint is experienced in all aspects of Property Litigation, with a particular focus on commercial and development work:

• Land Registration and Title Rectification
• Landlord & Tenant
• Rights of Way and other Easements (particularly access to development land)
• Restrictive Covenants
• Boundary Disputes
• Trusts of Land / Co-ownership disputes
• Nuisance & Negligence causing damage to land
• Adverse Possession

Email: clerks@kingschambers.com

Matthew Hall is a specialist property, trusts and probate barrister.

Year of Call: 1999

Over 20 years’ experience in all areas of land law (including landlord and tenant and service charge disputes). The focus of Matthew’s work is now mainly property development and commercial / retail premises and in particular rights of way and restrictive covenants (advising regularly on ransom strips access to development plots) ), retail valuation and redevelopment issues under the 1954 Act (e.g. advising a local authority on a lease to a football club) and torts affecting land (e.g. a 6 day TCC nuisance trial concerning leaking fuel).

Matthew also regularly advises local authorities and other public bodies on the exercise of their land-holding functions, particularly concerning city centre redevelopment.

Email: clerks@kingschambers.com

Philomena is an experienced property litigator. Her broad practice encompasses all areas of property law (including non-contentious matters) and related professional negligence claims.  Her practice also includes general chancery and commercial litigation. She regularly advises companies, including banks and other financial institutions, and individuals on a wide range of real property and landlord and tenant disputes and matters. Her practice is predominantly court-based and she appears in the High Court, the Court of Appeal as well in the County Courts.

Recommended for Real Estate in Chambers UK Bar Guide (since 2004) and for Property Litigation in The Legal 500 (since 1997) Philomena has been described as “a highly respected property litigator” who is “fiercely intelligent” and “very commercial”. She has appeared in major reported cases on rights to light and the assessment of damages in lieu of an injunction. With extensive experience in ADR, Philomena has appeared in arbitrations and at mediations and has also acted as a mediator.  Philomena is Public Access qualified and able to accept instructions directly from members of the public. Further information may be obtained from the Maitland Chambers’ clerks.’

Email: pharrison@maitlandchambers.com

The Rent Review Specialist

Involved in the commercial property market since 1967, established 1975, Michael is a commercial property surveyor specialising in rent review and business tenancy advice for landlords and tenants in England and Wales. Providing solicitors with professional support on drafting and approval of documents ensuring the valuation intention at rent review.

Web: www.michaellever.co.uk
Email: help@michaellever.co.uk

Emma advises on the full range of contentious property issues, including insolvency matters, arrears, break rights, dilapidations and 1954 Act renewals. Emma also deals with contractual and development disputes, specialising in rights of light, restrictive covenants and Electronic Communications Code issues, and  the removal of telecoms masts. Her work is advisory – to avoid and/or settle disputes – as well as involving the conduct of litigation.

Emma lectures widely on property litigation issues and writes for various publications, including the Estates Gazette and the Property Law Journal. Emma also summarises cases dealing with easements and restrictive covenants for the Property Law UK website. Emma is an honorary member of Arbrix and a member of the RICS Telecommunication Forum. She is also the former Chair of the Training and Education Committee of The Property Litigation Association and has sat as a member of the Steering Group of the RICS Dilapidations Forum and the South East Committee of Women in Property.

Emma was ranked in Band 1 for Real Estate Litigation in Chambers 2022 and is recognised in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame.

Emma is admitted to practise in England and Wales.

Email: emma.humphreys@crsblaw.com

Tim has more than twenty years’ experience providing advice and advocacy across the full range of commercial-chancery litigation. Much of his practice relates to property litigation (including telecommunications-related property litigation), and his broad experience gives him particular expertise in property cases that involve company, insolvency, trust or financial law, as well as related professional negligence.

He has appeared in courts and tribunals at all levels, including in the Supreme Court and in the Court of Appeal on many occasions. He also appears in and has acted as a legal assessor in arbitrations.

Email: tcalland@maitlandchambers.com

Stephen Tromans QC is generally recognised as the leading practitioner in environmental law in the UK. As long ago as 1991 when a partner at Simmons & Simmons, he was named as the “Lawyers’ Lawyer” for environmental work by “Lawyer” magazine. Since moving to the Bar in 1999 and taking silk in 2009 he has been consistently highly rated in environmental law, energy law and planning law, and has been both environmental Junior and Silk of the year in the Chambers Bar Awards.

His work covers all aspects of environmental and natural resources law, both in its regulatory and commercial aspects, in cases such as judicial review, planning and other appeals, commercial disputes, arbitration, nuisance and other common law claims. It has a significant international and EU dimension. Stephen is known as the author of the leading texts on the subjects of contaminated land, environmental assessment, and nuclear law. He has a substantial practice in all forms of energy, water, waste, and major infrastructure generally.

He is recognised by Chambers & Partners as one of the Chambers 100, a list of the top 100 silks across all practice areas.

Email: stephen.tromans@39essex.com

Jenny is a PSL and Managing Associate in Trowers & Hamlins’ Dispute Resolution & Litigation department. Jenny works in the Property Litigation team, which she joined on qualification in October 2008.

Email: JStandfast@trowers.com

 

Email: ashley.pratt@39essex.com

Email: alison@alisonstonesurveyors.co.uk

Website: www.alisonstonesurveyors.co.uk 

 

 

Email: cheather@tanfieldchambers.co.uk

 

 

Email: sellers@exchangechambers.co.uk