Fielding a team that is ‘honest and prepared to think outside the box rather than sticking with the usual responses’, Muckle LLP handles the full spectrum of commercial and residential property litigation claims for regional and national clients. The group is also a key name in the market for issues relating to cladding remediation works and social housing matters. The ‘superb’ Charlotte McMurchie leads the team, and is supported by senior associate Jennifer Pearson and associate Sarah Barratt.
Property litigation in North
Muckle LLP
Practice head(s):
Charlotte McMurchie
Other key lawyers:
Jennifer Pearson; Sarah Barratt
Testimonials
‘Muckle are very thorough and work in partnership with clients, always get back to you on any queries you have, usually the same day.’
‘Our dedicated partner, Charlotte McMurchie is always on hand to provide prompt, strategic and commercial advice in difficult litigation cases with additional support provided by Sarah Barratt to ensure that case management is delivered effectively and successfully.’
‘This is a very strong team, with real experience and skill in handing complex property litigation work. Their collective expertise means that cases are well managed and well resourced at all levels.’
‘Jennifer Pearson is an exceptionally talented senior associate. She has a ferocious and forensic grip on detail, stays very calm under pressure, is able to manage and co-ordinate complex multi-party litigation with ease. A rising star.’
‘As a team, they are calm in their approach which offers reassurance to those using their services. I have always found them approachable and open to discussion about any question we bring them.’
‘Sarah Barrett is confident, amenable, approachable and without fail is always calm. She is robust in her approach and never makes me feel that any of my questions are unnecessary or irrelevant.’
‘They are approachable and very much understand our business as a registered provider of social housing.’
‘This is a genuinely excellent team led by the superb Charlotte McMurchie. The team really does listen and provides pragmatic advice that is easy to interpret. The Property Litigation team really understand the housing sector and share many of the values we hold as important.’
Key clients
Grainger plc
Karbon Homes
Bernicia Housing Limited
North Star Housing Group
Hays Travel Limited
MRI Software Limited
Empress Heights RTM Company Limited
Trivselhus
McAleer & Rushe Group
Wildheart Residential Management Limited
Castles & Coasts Housing Association Limited
Retirement Bridge Management Limited
Gentoo
Nexus
Newcastle College Group
Persimmon Homes
Prime Property Management Limited
Vertu Motors Plc
Newcastle College Group
Village Hotels
Work highlights
- Providing property litigation support to Empress Heights RTM Company Limited as regards necessary cladding remediation works and a dispensation application in relation to both the remediation works and appointment of experts.
- Acting on behalf of a premium UK hotelier in relation to a substantial claim for damages in multi-tenanted leisure and commercial premises in Central London.
- Advising Falcon Housing Association on numerous applications involving vulnerable defendants, including to obtain possession of property and urgent anti-social behaviour injunctions.
Ward Hadaway LLP
Ward Hadaway LLP’s team of property litigation specialists is active across the commercial and public sectors, and is a go-to contact in the region for various NHS trusts and the Canal & River Trust, handling the full range of estate management work. Sharon Mathieson heads up the department and primarily assists public and third sector clients. At associate level, Jeremy Hardy is the primary contact and acts for a broad range of developers, local authorities and occupiers and also handles agricultural land issues.
Practice head(s):
Sharon Mathieson
Other key lawyers:
Jeremy Hardy
Weightmans
Weightmans handles a varied caseload for a client base of national and multinational corporations encompassing covenant enforcements, possession claims, service charge disputes, dilapidation claims and contested lease renewals. The group is also notably active across the energy, construction, education and leisure sectors and counts Northern Powergrid, the University of Sunderland and Camerons Brewery as clients. Team head Christopher Graham regularly acts for energy clients and advises on injunctive relief, while, at principal associate level, Jill Dalkin has experience in lease covenant breaches and Mark Reeves acts for utilities companies.
Practice head(s):
Christopher Graham
Other key lawyers:
Jill Dalkin; Mark Reeves
Testimonials
‘Chris Graham has always made it clear that he is always available and oversees caseload and provided us with good easy means of contact.’
‘The individual Jill Dalkin who has undertaken (or managed) the several matters on our behalf and retained interest and involvement where another specialists involved. Her professionalism, abilities, determination and openness all inspire confidence.’
Key clients
Bellway Plc
Northern Powergrid (North East) Plc
Northern Powergrid (Yorkshire) Plc
Camerons Brewery Limited
Northern Electric Plc
South Shore Developments Limited
AND Group Limited
University of Sunderland
Northern Trust Company Limited
Yorkshire Electricity Group Plc
Nucleus Holdings Limited
Work highlights
- Represented an electricity distribution business in a successful application for rectification in the First-tier Property Tribunal.
- Advised an electricity distribution business following receipt of various notices to remove apparatus, including potential cost liability quantified at circa £10m.
Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP
The property disputes team at Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP is led by senior counsel Jen Smurthwaite, who clients praise as ‘simply outstanding’ and divides her time between Leeds and Newcastle. The group’s client base encompasses commercial landlords and tenants, developers, social landlords, investors and government departments, which the group advises on the full range of contentious property issues. Among the associates, Elizabeth Allen has notable experience in residential property litigation, and Elspeth Moncrieff handles lease renewals and break notices.
Practice head(s):
Jen Smurthwaite
Other key lawyers:
Elizabeth Allen; Elspeth Moncrieff
Testimonials
‘WBD is a great firm with enormous strength in depth, able to provide the client with a complete service combining technical legal knowledge with tactical ability and exceptional service.’
Jen Smurthwaite is simply outstanding: very impressive both technically and tactically.’
‘A good mix of fee earners that are able to provide focused advice.’
‘They are always available to provide high-quality advice.’
‘Specialist litigators who are approachable, good value for money and attentive to client needs.’
‘Elspeth Moncrieff is excellent. She is attentive to detail and very commercially minded.’
Key clients
Airwave Solutions Limited
Bernicia Group
Akelius
Standard Life Trustee Company Ltd
Places for People Homes Limited
Karbon Homes
Work highlights
- Dealing with all contentious matters for Airwave Solutions Limited including site terminations, lease renewals, and disputes regarding rent reviews among others.
- Acting for Bernicia Group on a range of tenancy management issues including claims to possession, injunctions to tackle anti-social behaviour, committals for breach and defending housing disrepair claims.
- Advising Swedish-owned residential property investor Akelius in relation to all aspects of tenancy management across its stock.
Clarke Mairs LLP
Clarke Mairs LLP’s practice leverages the firm’s wider insolvency strength in its property litigation work and property litigation practice head James Godden acts for a variety of landlords and national surveyors. Godden is active across the spectrum of property litigation including enfranchisement work and claims before the First-tier Tribunal. Associate Louise Ager also contributes.
Practice head(s):
James Godden
Other key lawyers:
Louise Ager
Testimonials
‘I work closely with James Godden who is my go to lawyer on all matters relating to commercial debt. He is thorough in all aspects of his work and achieves results. He provides strong, trustworthy, commercial advice.’
DWF
Led by Jonathan Smith, DWF’s real estate litigation team in Newcastle handles high-profile regional mandates and is particularly singled out for its rent review work and expertise in break notices alongside key housing litigation knowledge. The group is a key name for clients in the industrial, retail, public, telecoms and transport sectors and also assists social housing providers. The Newcastle team works closely with colleagues in the Leeds office to add to the firm’s national coverage.
Practice head(s):
Jonathan Smith
Testimonials
‘DWF have a good, solid property litigation team. They are staffed by sensible, knowledgeable and commercial lawyers. Their advice is commercial and they are willing to be flexible and creative in relation to fee arrangements.’
‘Jonathan Smith’s expert knowledge of property law is combined with expertise in litigation procedure to give us a distinct advantage in our property disputes. Jonathan knows how we operate and is able to tailor his advice to ensure that we achieve our aims, which is often not about maximising our financial return. His turnaround times are reliably quick and he adheres to his costs estimates. He is a pleasure to work with.’
Key clients
Hanro Limited
Capital Park Leeds Plc
BT Plc
Grainger Plc
PD Teesport Limited
Northumberland Estates
Wigan Council
Mileway
Custodian REIT
Advance Northumberland
Mincoffs Solicitors LLP
With ‘friendly and professional individuals’ who are ‘exceptional in both their attitudes and abilities’, Mincoffs Solicitors LLP handles the full range of commercial and residential property claims including lease renewals, break notices, dilapidation claims, construction disputes and possession matters. Associate Susan Roberts heads up the group and is active in landlord and tenant work.
Practice head(s):
Susan Roberts
Other key lawyers:
Stewart Irvine
Testimonials
‘Friendly, professional staff, who were able to assist us legally and enable us to understand the legal processes and jargon.’
‘Helping and guiding us through the a complex legal process. Listening to concerns and advice on the next course of actions to be taken.’
‘When called upon they have, as I would expect from the team of solicitors that are employed by Mincoffs, been exceptional in both their attitude and abilities.’
‘Susan Roberts is the solicitor that I have been dealing with regarding these issues and she has been ahead of the opposing solicitor at every turn. I cannot commend her enough as a person to be on our side, she is a pleasure to work with.’
‘Very knowledgeable and do not let you down.’
‘Susan Roberts – Friendly, able to explain where proceedings are and the real world implications of that, pragmatic and cost conscious.’
Key clients
The Works Stores Limited
Lugano Group Limited
Cairn Hotel Group
A1 Industrial Trucks Limited
Steamforged Games Limited
High Street Group
The Station Hotel (Newcastle) Limited
Northern Bear plc
Sintons LLP
Sintons LLP is a key name in the local market and counts a variety of regional clients on its roster including the Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust and Greggs; the group also acts for high-net-worth individuals and charitable trusts. Key individuals include the ‘extremely experienced’ Angus Ashman, health sector specialist Graeme Ritzema, and dispute resolution team head Hilary Waters. Aimee Hubbard departed to DAC Beachcroft LLP in April 2022.
Practice head(s):
Hilary Waters; Angus Ashman; Graeme Ritzema
Testimonials
‘Sintons represented us when we began the process of litigation related to a property we owned. The service provided was excellent. The approach used was tenacious and appropriately pitched to secure a positive outcome for us without huge costs. We were very pleased with the successful outcome.’
‘Angus Ashman represented us. He is extremely experienced and knowledgeable. He employed just the right strategy to ensure that we had a successful outcome. He was very generous with his time and available at all hours. We were very impressed by his professionalism.’
‘The team offers a full range of litigation support. I have used them in a number of transactions and have been impressed at their thoroughness and commerciality.’
‘My contact has been Angus Ashman. He is extremely knowledgeable and deals with complex matters in a practical and pragmatic way. His communication skills are excellent.’
Key clients
Greggs Plc
Cussins (North East) Limited
Tolent Group
JG Windows
Hadrian Estates
The Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes
API Limited
The Church Commissioners for England
The Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust
Metnor Group
Newcastle upon Tyne YMCA
JGW Patterson Foundation
Work highlights
- Acted for a Student Accommodation developer in a Partnership and Proprietary Estoppel dispute over a £15m property portfolio.
- Acted in an Expert Determination process for an Agricultural Partnership on the interpretation of what constituted “mutually satisfactory compliance” with the terms of an Agricultural tenancy for the purposes of the Partnership receiving compensation at the end of the tenancy.
- Acted on behalf of a Commercial land development business in a £90m dispute over the interpretation of a lease user clause and the use of the leased land in breach of that clause by its Petro Chemical industry tenant.
Swinburne Maddison LLP
In Durham, Swinburne Maddison LLP is praised as going ‘above and beyond’ for clients, which range from large multinational corporates to local authorities and private individuals. The specialist department is led by David Low, who has notable expertise in mandates involving social housing registered providers, and handles issues for landlords and tenants spanning residential, commercial and agricultural properties and disputes.
Practice head(s):
David Low
Testimonials
‘The team has been excellent at communicating complex legal issues to a group of clients with varying degrees of legal knowledge. The accessibility of the team is good, the knowledge and breadth of experience that individuals are able to draw upon in the team is great.’
‘Swinburne Maddison are extremely experienced and have an excellent depth of knowledge and help us with a wide variety of queries and cases – this can be from an initial enquiry right through to court and possession. We primarily deal with David Low but have also worked with his colleagues who are all hardworking and provide the same excellent service.’
‘David Low is the stand out partner for us. David is always very patient and supports us throughout cases from inception right through to possession. He is always available to help with a quick email enquiry to.’
‘Really rooted in the local community. They provide sensible and down to earth advice and are always good value for money. They have a wide range of expertise in property-related matters.’
‘David Low is practical and a good tactician.’
‘David Low provides concise legal advice in plain English. He’s guiding us consistently through a long-drawn out process, keeping oversight of the process and support when needed. Professionalism paired with humility.’
‘David Low is tremendous, clear and articulate. He is very good to deal with and simply gets results!’
‘David Low is effective at getting results and putting his client’s points across.’
Key clients
Durham Cathedral
Beyond Housing Limited
The Esh Group
Believe Housing Limited
TJD Properties Limited
University of Law
MC Lettings
Gilesgate Properties Limited
Derwent Angling Association
St Cuthbert’s Walk Limited Partnership
The Empress Bar Limited
Livin Housing Limited
Leeds City Council
Claxton Estates Limited
Moving On (Durham) Limited
The Liquor & Restaurant Group Limited
Kiss the Moon Limited
H&H Land & Estates Ltd
My Space Housing Solutions
Work highlights
- Acting on behalf of a prolific landowner in connection with a mines and minerals dispute which threatens to delay a planned development valued at £20m.
- Continuing to act for a large local authority in connection with ongoing housing disrepair claims.
- Representing a group of leaseholders in connection with a service charge dispute with their Management Company relating to overcharged service charges.