Landmark Chambers

James is a leading junior property disputes barrister. He acts across the full range of commercial and residential property litigation, including leasehold, enfranchisement, land registration, development-related disputes and associated professional negligence and property damage claims.

James appears at every level of the court and tribunal system, from the Property Chamber and High Court to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. He is known combining detailed technical expertise with practical, commercially focused advice.

James advises and represents clients in a broad range of property disputes, including commercial and residential leasehold matters; service charges; forfeiture, BSA (Building Safety Act) issues; enfranchisement and right to manage claims; restrictive covenants, easements, trespass, nuisance and boundary disputes; land registration; and disputes arising from sale contracts, including enforcement and overage claims. He also acts in property-related professional negligence disputes, a recent example of which is a dispute involving the sale and purchase of freehold property.

James’ breadth of experience is particularly valuable in complex or mixed-use developments, where commercial and residential leasehold issues often overlap. His experience in enfranchisement and terminal dilapidations disputes also gives him substantial expertise in valuation evidence and strategy. His clients include PLCs, institutional investors, developers, historic estates, overseas investors, resident-controlled management companies housing associations, and high-net-worth individuals. A particular strength that comes from that breadth of representation is James’ ability to advise not only on the commercial considerations, legal merits and strategic options from the client’s perspective but also how the other side is likely to be assessing those issues.

One of James’ particular strengths is his ability to work collaboratively as part of a team. He has experience of both being led and acting as leading counsel in trials as well as appeals, which is particularly valuable in matters requiring expertise across different fields.

A recent example is the challenge to reforms to enfranchisement legislation under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act (LFRA) 2024. At first instance, James was part of the counsel team representing one of the claimant charities, acting as the enfranchisement specialist alongside human rights counsel from Doughty Street Chambers. On appeal, he is part of the team representing two of the Great London Estates, working alongside public law specialists James Maurici KC and Natasha Jackson.

James also works with construction and planning specialists in development disputes and, in one matter, with a specialist in the field of ecclesiastical law.

James has developed a specialist niche in advising on the consequences and remedy options affecting land ownership following corporate dissolution, including matters involving overseas companies.

James is a contributor to Service Charges and Management (Sweet & Maxwell) and co-author of Commercial Property Litigation (LexisNexis). James is a regular speaker at property conferences.