James Souter > Charles Russell Speechlys LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile
Charles Russell Speechlys LLP Offices
5 FLEET PLACE
LONDON
EC4M 7RD
England
- Firm Profile
- Go to...
James Souter
Work Department
Private wealth, real estate and construction.
Position
James specialises in all disputes relating to the use and occupation of land. He also has a significant advisory practice aimed at dispute avoidance. He has a wide-ranging client base which includes developers, investors, corporate, leisure and retail occupiers, and high-net-worth individuals. He has considerable experience acting for clients in the higher courts and specialist property tribunals. James is recognised as an expert in the field of leasehold enfranchisement, which has been developed through acting for one of the largest London estates as well as other landlords and a wide variety of tenants. He also has a strong practice advising developers in relation to rights to light and other neighbourly matters. Experience: advised Derwent London on a large central London development site, including devising and implementing a vacant possession strategy and mitigating a significant rights to light risk; acted for Scottish Widows on a multimillion-pound damages claim by a tenant of a trading estate on the outskirts of London – the tenant succeeded in the High Court but the decision was subsequently reversed by the Court of Appeal; acted for the Howard de Walden Estate on a wide variety of ground-breaking claims which have helped to clarify the law in relation to the enfranchisement of flats; advised the Direct Line Group in relation to the successful exercise of a complex conditional break clause in the lease of a large office building in Bristol.
Lawyer Rankings
London > Real estate > Property litigation
(Leading individuals)Working across the whole spectrum of property litigation, the ‘strong and well-resourced’ practice at Charles Russell Speechlys LLP features particular expertise in rights of light and leasehold enfranchisement matters. The team also contains experts in London Urban Estates and the telecoms sector, particularly the Electronic Communications Code. ‘Outstanding lawyer’ Emma Humphreys has a particular focus on break rights, insolvency matters and rent arrears. ‘Superbly gifted practitioner’ James Souter leads the firm’s enfranchisement group and has a notable specialism in development-related work. David Haines leads the team, splitting his time between London and Guildford.
Lawyer Rankings
- Leading individuals London > Real estate > Property litigation
- Property litigation London > Real estate
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Private client > Contentious trusts and probate
- Private client > Family
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: Smaller Deals, £10m-£100m
- Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Dispute resolution > Professional discipline
Firm Rankings
- Private client > Agriculture and estates
- Private client > Art and cultural property
- Private client > Charities and not-for-profit
- Corporate and commercial > Commercial contracts
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market
- Private client > Court of protection
- Private client > Family: mediation
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: civil
- Employment > Immigration
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Advertising & marketing
- Real estate > Property litigation
- Real estate > Residential property
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport
- Real estate > Commercial property: corporate occupiers
- Real estate > Commercial property: development
- Real estate > Commercial property: investment
- Real estate > Construction: contentious
- Real estate > Construction: non-contentious
- Industry focus > Emerging markets
- Corporate and commercial > Equity capital markets – small-mid cap
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design
- Investment fund formation and management > Listed funds
- Real estate > Planning
- Dispute resolution > Professional discipline
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Reputation management
- Industry focus > Retail and consumer
- Employment > Senior executives
- Risk advisory > Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Fintech
- Industry focus > Hospitality and leisure
- Corporate and commercial > Partnership
- Dispute resolution > Tax litigation and investigations
- Employment > Employers
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory
- Corporate and commercial > Private equity: transactions - mid-market deals (up to £250m)
- Real estate > Property finance
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: patents (contentious and non-contentious)
- Corporate and commercial > Venture capital
- Finance > Corporate restructuring & insolvency
- Corporate and commercial > EU and competition
- Public sector > Administrative and public law
- Employment > Employee share schemes