Emma Humphreys > Charles Russell Speechlys LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Charles Russell Speechlys LLP
5 FLEET PLACE
LONDON
EC4M 7RD
England

Work Department

Retail and leisure, real estate and construction, technology, media and telecommunications; litigation and dispute resolution, real estate.

Position

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, including 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 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.
Experience: acted on behalf of Arqiva Limited in claims against three mobile network operators, including Everything Everywhere and Orange; instructed by two investors who bought shares in a company designed to purchase the Pinnacle site in London and who sought the return of their investment or an account of any profit (the case, Abbar v SEDCO Real Estate Ltd & Ors [2013] EWHC 1414 (Ch), included the challenge of reviewing 12,000 documents in a matter of weeks); acted on behalf of Osborne (Bournemouth) Limited in relation to its claim issued against Bournemouth Borough Council in connection with the termination of a development agreement; achieved success for a landlord client in opposing the grant of a renewal lease to Santander, on the basis of a proposed redevelopment (both at first instance and on appeal (Santander UK plc v LCP Estates Limited [2018] EWHC 2193 (Ch)), it was confirmed that the test under “ground (f)” of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 had been satisfied by our client’s plans and the building lease granted to Metrobank).

Career

Emma lectures widely on property litigation issues and writes for various publications, including ‘Estates Gazette’ and ‘Property Law Journal’. She also edits the reports on cases dealing with easements and restrictive covenants for the Property Law UK website.

Lawyer Rankings

South West > Real estate > Property litigation

Lauded by clients as ‘second to none’, the real estate disputes team at Charles Russell Speechlys LLP is active across an array of residential, commercial and agricultural property litigation, handling disputes related to residential tenancy issues, farm business tenancies and lease terminations, among other matters. Practice chair Emma Humphreys, who divides her time between Cheltenham and London, is praised for being ‘at the forefront of new law’, while Emma Preece is recommended for possessing a ‘particular prowess in rights of way and boundary dispute matters’. 

London > Real estate > Property litigation

(Hall of Fame)

Emma HumphreysCharles Russell Speechlys LLP

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.