Cornerstone Barristers

Cornerstone Barristers

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Ian Albutt

Ian Albutt

lan Albutt was called to the Bar in 1981. His practice encompasses all aspects of planning, administrative, environmental and local government law. He has wide experience of planning inquiries and regularly appears in the High Court in planning and public law matters. He is a member of PEBA. His specialist areas also encompass CPO and listed building issues. He has acted for many county and local authorities. He has a specialist practice in tourism and holiday park development and licensing. He has advised and is retained by many of the major tourism and holiday companies on development issues regarding existing and new sites throughout England and Wales. He accepts licensed access and public access instructions.
Michael Bedford KC

Michael Bedford KC

Michael has an extensive practice covering all aspects of the development process (including compulsory purchase) with a particular emphasis on larger scale projects. He is currently promoting several local plans, including proposals in the East of England. He is also promoting major infrastructure projects under the DCO regime in Great Yarmouth and under the TCPA regime in Norwich, as well acting for other participants in DCOs concerning Sizewell B and the Lower Thames Crossing. He is also acting on a range of housing and mixed-use developments in London and across the South East and the East of England. Michael acts for developers and landowners, local planning authorities, and local highway authorities. Michael is familiar with presenting cases at inquiries and hearings, local plan examinations, and DCO examinations. His Court work includes leading cases on the Duty to Co-operate (Zurich and Barker Mill), Appropriate Assessment (Abbotskerswell and Devon Wildlife Trust), DPDs/SPDs (Skipton Properties), and the meaning of deliverable sites (East Bergholt). Michael practices in Wales as well as England. He also deals with Definitive Map and other rights of way matters and sits as a Village Greens Inspector.
Lisa Busch KC

Lisa Busch KC

Lisa Busch is a leading advocate in planning, environmental, local government and public law. She represents central Government departments, local authorities and other public bodies, as well as private clients and residents' associations in inquiries and judicial review claims in all areas of her practice. In 2017-2018 she acted for the Education and Skills Funding Agency in a series of inquiries concerning new free schools, reflecting her expertise in dealing with major and medium-scale infrastructure projects. She is experienced in dealing with the CIL Regulations, having acted for Waverly Borough Council in an examination into its CIL charging schedule in July 2018 and for Wealden District Council in an application for permission to appeal to the Supreme Court in a case involving the interpretation of the Regulations. She regularly advises local authorities on all aspects of their powers and duties: recent cases include Cambridge CC v Traditional Cambridge Tours and others [2018] EWHC 1304 (QB); R (Harvey) v Ledbury Town Council [2018] EWHC 1151 (Admin); and R (Bewley Homes Pie) v Waverly BC [2017] 2 P & CR 19. Contributing author to P. Cappel QC, Information Rights (Sweet & Maxwell, 2004); 'Ultra Vires Representations and Illegitimate Expectations', Public Law (Public Law, 2006).
Alistair Cantor

Alistair Cantor

Alistair Cantor specialises in commercial and regulatory, property and housing law. He undertakes a broad range of drafting, advisory and advocacy work for private litigants and public authorities. Alistair began his career at UBS Investment Bank, before being called to the Bar in 2011 and has since built a successful practice. He combines his legal acumen with sound commercial expertise when advising his clients. He holds long-standing instructions from the Dobbs Review, the ongoing high-profile independent review into the HBOS Reading fraud. He has a unique specialism in enforcement law, having regularly acted in enforcement proceedings concerning high value and foreign judgments. Alistair is a mentor under the ‘Mentoring for Underrepresented Groups at the Planning, Public Law and Property Bar’ scheme. He is a member of Cornerstone Climate, our cross-disciplinary practice group for climate litigation and advice. An alumnus of University College London, Alistair earned his Graduate Diploma in Law with Distinction at the University of Law and was awarded the Buchanan Prize from Lincoln’s Inn for Outstanding Performance on the BPTC.
Rowan Clapp

Rowan Clapp

Rowan is developing a broad practice across all areas of Chambers’ work. He has significant public law experience having previously worked in the Abuses in Counterterrorism department at Reprieve and volunteered as an anti-trafficking researcher for Kalayaan, an immigration charity focussing on the rights of Overseas Domestic Workers. Rowan also spent a year working in commercial law at a specialist commercial litigation firm handing the RBS Rights Issue case, affording him valuable insight into litigation strategy. He is regularly instructed to act for central and local government as well as private clients in a broad range of matters. Recent instructions include appearing in a homelessness review before the Court of Appeal (Kiefer v Hertsmere) and advising Extinction Rebellion in relation to the ‘Autumn Uprising’ in light of the court’s decision in R(Jones) v Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis [2019] EWHC 2957 (Admin).
Shomik Datta

Shomik Datta

Shomik is a property and commercial litigator with two decades of experience. A highly regarded practitioner, his client base includes large PLCs, property developers, local authorities, registered providers and high net-worth individuals. Examples of his recent cases include: Rail for London v London Borough of Hackney [2022] EWHC 2929 (Ch), concerning a dispute about the interpretation of a commercial lease, implied terms and estoppel by convention; enforcement of a £15m restoration obligation relating to the largest open-cast mine in Europe, which went to the Court of Appeal on issues of construction; the first Court of Appeal case to consider the Council Tax Scheme and recovery of putative over payments; numerous disputes between employers and former employees concerning restrictive covenants and confidentiality provisions; right of light disputes concerning developments in Milton Keynes and Winchester; advising upon several applications to modify or remove freehold restrictive covenants to permit development; and telecommunications code disputes.
Olivia Davies

Olivia Davies

Olivia maintains a consciously broad practice in most areas of Chambers’ work, including public law, planning and environmental law, commercial law, election law, housing law, licensing law, information law, and inquests. Olivia is a member of the Cornerstone Climate team. Olivia regularly appears before courts, tribunals, public inquiries and inquests for a range of clients, both public and private. Her current private clients include a popular fashion brand in a commercial injunction claim for alleged breach of a licence agreement. Her public work has recently included being part of a team of counsel for three former Post Office sub-postmasters in the Court of Appeal proceedings where their wrongful convictions were overturned after the ‘biggest miscarriage of justice in history’. Olivia’s public clients are often local authorities, whom Olivia represents in a range of cases, from a recent un-led two-week planning inquiry concerning the refusal of permission a 49.9MW solar development on Green Belt land, to complex multi-track possession trials.
Emma Dring

Emma Dring

Emma is regularly instructed in High Court planning cases, both as junior counsel and sole counsel, in addition to continuing inquiry and advisory work. In addition to her existing public and private clients, Emma is on the Attorney General’s B panel and receives instructions on behalf of the Secretary of State. Emma undertakes a full range of planning work, but has the following specific area of expertise: Heritage – she has been instructed by Historic England and English Heritage on a number of occasions in recent years, to advise and also to provide representation in High Court proceedings. She has been involved in recent important cases on ‘setting’ and on the interpretation of chapter 12 NPPF. Local plans - Emma has represented clients in four examinations in public in recent years (two for objectors and two for local planning authorities). She has also been involved as junior counsel in four High Court local plan challenges. Enforcement/lawfulness – Emma has a particular interest in and experience of advising on these issues and regularly provides written advice. In addition to her planning work, Emma continues to accept instructions in other areas of chambers expertise, including social housing and licensing and general public law. Contributor to Cornerstone on the Planning Court and Cornerstone on Councillors' Conduct.
Matthew Feldman

Matthew Feldman

Matthew Feldman has extensive experience in housing law representing local authorities, registered social providers and tenants in statutory homelessness appeals, possession claims, human rights, discrimination and Equality Act 2010 challenges, statutory succession and right to buy proceedings, claims and injunctions based on anti-social behaviour, unlawful eviction and harassment claims, disrepair, succession and Environmental Protection Act 1990 cases. Recent work Matthew Feldman has acted in several influential social housing cases, including: \tR (on the application of Nolson) v Stevenage BC - The Court of Appeal considered the procedure for reviewing an application for the provision of relief in the form of interim accommodation in a homelessness judicial review case, following a refusal of interim relief on the papers. \tYemshaw v Hounslow LBC - The Supreme Court held that the term 'domestic violence' in section 177(1) of the Housing Act 1996 included physical violence, threatening or intimidating behaviour and any other form of abuse which, directly or indirectly, might give rise to the risk of harm. \tR (McGarrett) v Kingston Crown Court - The Divisional Court held that the purpose of an ASBO was not to punish, and the terms of the order had to be proportionate to the risk to be guarded against. Further, the order had to be both necessary and justified. \tLondon & Quadrant Housing Trust v Ansell – Part of the ‘tolerated trespasser’ litigation for which leave to appeal to the House of Lords was granted, and the case settled on favourable terms shortly before the final hearing.
John Fitzsimons

John Fitzsimons

John Fitzsimons is a versatile junior barrister who maintains a deliberately diverse practice encompassing data protection/information law, planning/environmental law, inquests/inquiries and general public and regulatory law. He is regularly instructed by a wide variety of public and private clients and is ranked in Legal 500 as a leading junior. As well as his general public law and local government expertise, John’s specific expertise includes the following. Information Law: John has a busy data protection and information law practice, and he has experience representing private clients, public bodies, and the Information Commissioner. He often appears in both the First-tier and Upper Tribunal on information law matters and has also appeared in the High Court and Court of Appeal, including in the leading case on FOIA contempt proceedings: Moss v Kingston [2023] EWCA Civ 1438. John advises clients on data breaches, UK GDPR issues and other privacy matters. He is also a contributing author to the leading texts on data protection and information law, namely “Information Rights” by Philip Coppel KC (Hart, 6th ed 2023) and “Data Protection: A Practical Guide to UK Law” by Peter Carey (Oxford, 6th ed 2020). He is a co-author of “Data Protection, Privacy and Information Law” (Law Society, 1st ed, 2024). Planning and Environmental Law: John’s planning and environmental law practice spans residential, infrastructure, and environmental matters. He advises and represents local authorities, private clients, and resident groups on a range of issues in planning inquiries and court proceedings, in particular judicial reviews. Some of his recent inquiry work includes s78 inquiries at Gomm Valley, Buckinghamshire and Gritstone Road, Derbyshire, both of which involved hybrid applications for schemes involving more than 400 homes. His recent judicial review experience includes R(Watton) v Cornwall Council [2023] EWHC 2436 (Admin), a challenge concerning planning permission for a crematorium. Inquests and Inquiries: John acts for interested persons and supports witnesses in giving evidence in a range of inquests and inquiries. His inquests work often has a social care or health angle. In recent years, some of the high-profile inquests he has appeared in include that of Zara Aleena (2024) and Sheila Hartman (2024). John’s public inquiries experience includes acting for a Core Participant in both the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse and the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry.
Gerard Forlin KC

Gerard Forlin KC

Specialist in health and safety; corporate manslaughter: disaster litigation; aviation: railways; fire; shipping safety; regulatory offences; product liability; crowd safety; official state events; fire: diving; local government; healthcare; commercial fishing; corruption; waste offences; and public inquiries and inquests. Described as "one of the most compelling advocates that you could ever see in a courtroom." Standing counsel to numerous PLCs and agencies in the UK and abroad. Advised on over 250 fatality cases, including: Grenfell Tower, Shoreham Air Disaster, MH370, recent inquest F1 McLaren, Watford, Notting Hill Carnival, Southall, Paddington, James Porter, Teebay, Barrow, Hatfield, Purley, Faversham, Britannia Air Crash, City of London Lift Case, Alton Towers, Greek catamaran, inquests in Falklands and other sporting, aviation and construction cases. Acted in over 150 jury inquests in the UK and overseas. Regular presenter for FCO, ASEAN and UN on bribery and corruption. Direct Access Licensed. Regularly used as an expert pundit on BBC, Sky and CNN, and various other TV companies.
Steven Gasztowicz KC

Steven Gasztowicz KC

Undertakes property and commercial work such as ownership disputes and fraud claims (eg Bajwa v Furini, ChD and CA, White Book 2018), rights of way (eg Embassy Air Services Ltd v Sandown [2010] ChD), highway matters (Foy v Dacorum BC [2015]), cases involving development rights (eg BDW Trading Limited v Spooner [2011] QBD), and all other land related matters (including restrictive covenants, adverse possession, and commercial landlord and tenant eg OM Properties Ltd v Shoprite [2009] QBD), contractual claims (eg Cluley v Dix, QBD and CA, White Book 2018) and all aspects of planning, administrative, and local government law.Appears at planning inquiries of all types (including local plan inquiries eg Leicester City Council, Hinckley & Bosworth BC), and deals with statutory appeals (eg Quaystone Properties Ltd v Secretary of State [2018] Admin Court), judicial review (eg Mohamed v London Borough of Waltham Forest [2018] Admin Court), and all other types of Administrative Court cases (eg Cala Homes (South) Ltd v Chichester DC, White Book 2018); also with related litigation such as claims for damages relating to planning issues (eg Chapman v G & E [2014] QBD), and proceedings in respect of matters necessary to enable developments to proceed, such as rights to connect to the drainage system (eg Barratt Homes Ltd v Welsh Water [2009] UKSC).Local government work ranges from resisting challenges to advising on statutory powers, including the potential liability of others (such as statutory undertakers in relation to recent major floods).Deals with common law claims of all types, including negligence and professional negligence (eg Mann v Chetty & Patel CA, White Book 2018), nuisance (eg Barratt Homes Ltd v Dwr Cymru [2013] CA), and claims for statutory compensation (eg Manolete plc v Hastings BC [2016] UKSC).Also undertakes company work and insolvency matters (eg Pathania v Adedeji [2014] CA), and disciplinary and regulatory work (eg Institute of Chartered Accountants v LP (a firm) – proceedings against auditors of a collapsed travel agency plc).Author of Scamell and Gasztowicz on Land Covenants, 2018.
Matt Hutchings KC

Matt Hutchings KC

Matt has a broad practice spanning the full range of chambers’ public law work, property, and commercial and regulatory litigation. He is the ideal barrister to advise in cases involving elements of commercial, property and public law. Matt has several decades of experience in appearing before the High Court in both judicial reviews and commercial trials, as well as of appellate advocacy, including at the highest level. Recent public law cases include Supreme Court briefs in R(Z) v Hackney, McDonald v McDonald, Hotak v Southwark and R(N) v Lewisham. He also appeared in the CJEU in R(Hemming) v Westminster. Matt has appeared before the Court of Appeal on dozens of occasions. Recent trial work includes Rail for London v Hackney, a landlord and tenant dispute in the Chancery Division about the construction of a rent covenant, implied terms and estoppel by convention, Chalfont St Peter v Holy Cross, a claim in unlawful interference/unlawful means conspiracy arising out of alleged planning fraud, Southwark v London District Housing Association & ors, a multi-party claim for breach/evasion of planning obligations and the Building Act arbitration following the Supreme Court decision in Manolete Partners v Hastings. He frequently acts for or against the government as well as in disputes between private individuals and organisations, often in the development sector, and has a keen understanding of his clients’ commercial and strategic aims. Matt is very active across the social housing sector, providing strategic advice to many London boroughs, particularly in the areas of regeneration, property, homelessness, and housing. A significant part of Matt’s practice relates to highways and traffic management. Matt offers advice that is strategic, practical and realistic.
Ryan Kohli

Ryan Kohli

Administrative and public law:  Ryan has extensive experience representing government departments and local authorities in public law proceedings including a leading case on the meaning of “clearly unfounded” in the asylum context. Examples include R (on the application of FR Albania) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2016] EWCA Civ 605. Landlord and tenant (including social housing): Ryan has been involved in significant cases in the social housing sphere on the application of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights and s. 15 of the Equality Act 2010. Examples include Paragon Asra Housing Limited v Neville [2018] EWCA Civ 1712; Hackney LBC v Haque [2017] EWCA Civ 4 and Thurrock Borough Council v West [2012] EWCA Civ 1435. Planning: He regularly represents clients in significant planning cases including those concerning air quality and the interpretation of the General Permitted Development Order. Recent examples of his work include: appearing on behalf of the Secretary of State in R (on the application of Durham and Hartlepool) v SSLUHC [2023] EWHC 1394 (Admin) which concerned the jurisdiction of planning inspectors to determine solar farm appeals which are, or might amount to, a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project; representing Cheltenham Borough Council in what is thought to have been the first planning appeal in which planning permission was refused for a major housing scheme solely on climate change grounds.
Matt Lewin

Matt Lewin

Matt is a public lawyer. His practice has a particular focus on local government, having acted for around 100 local authorities across England and Wales. He is appointed to the Attorney General’s and the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s C Panels of Counsel.  He was also recently nominated for the Young Pro Bono Barrister of the year award. Matt is an experienced external investigator into complaints of councillor misconduct and regularly advises monitoring officers dealing with complaints about councillors as well as representing councillors facing disciplinary proceedings. He is also an information law specialist, and has advised public authorities on data protection and freedom of information matters.  His recent work includes training for the Cayman Islands government on data protection and freedom of information.  He is a Freedom of Information Level 1 trainer for PDP. He is a contributor to Cornerstone on Councillors’ Conduct (Bloomsbury Professional, 2015).
David Lintott

David Lintott

David is a public law specialist working primarily in areas of local government, planning and housing. He represents local authorities and other public bodies, as well as private clients and residents' associations in inquiries and judicial review claims. He has appeared in some of the most significant planning and housing cases in recent years and has related expertise in human rights and EU law. He is a highly experienced and knowledgeable advocate with extensive experience of the Court of Appeal and High Court where he has successfully represented many local authorities, his recent cases include Panayiotou v Waltham Forest LBC [2018] 2 W.L.R. 1439; Eastwood v The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead [2016) EWCA Civ 437; Handley v Lake Jackson Solicitors [2016) EWCA Civ 465 [2016) 1 WLR 3138; Sanneh v SSWP [2015) EWCA Civ 49; London Borough of Enfield v Najim [2015] EWCA Civ 319; London Borough of Wandsworth v NJ [2013] EWCA Civ. 1373; Bubb v Wandsworth LBC [2011) EWCA Civ 1285.
Ruchi Parekh

Ruchi Parekh

Ruchi has a broad public law practice specialising in local government, planning and environment, information, housing and licensing law. She is instructed by a wide range of private and public sector clients, including local and central government and other regulatory bodies. She can also be instructed directly as a public access barrister. Recent and ongoing notable cases include: \t \tRepresenting Sarah Finch and the Weald Action Group in the Finch Litigation at the Supreme Court. the first time it's ruled on "downstream" emissions. \tRepresenting the claimant group challenging the grant of development consent for the Sizewell C nuclear power station. \tRepresenting the community group challenging the ‘Jet Zero Strategy’, the Government’s plan to achieve net zero in the aviation industry. \tArmstrong v SSLUHC [2023] EWHC 176 (Admin): Leading authority on the scope of s.73 TCPA 1990 and whether it extends to a “fundamental variation” of the original planning permission. Prior to coming to the bar, Ruchi worked as a legal officer at JUSTICE, where she led the civil justice program. Her previous experience also includes human rights litigation in domestic courts in eastern Europe and southern and eastern Africa, and the European Court of Human Rights, while working at Interights.
Sarah Salmon

Sarah Salmon

Sarah Salmon specialises in local government, housing, and property law. She has represented public bodies (including the police), charities, local authorities, housing associations, individuals and companies in her specialist areas. In relation to housing, Sarah’s caseload includes all aspects of housing management, possession, homelessness and allocations, Equality Act 2010 duties, welfare benefits, anti-social behaviour, unlawful eviction and housing conditions. Recent housing work Sarah Salmon’s recent advisory work has included: \tthe allocation of social housing and reviewing an allocation scheme; \tissues associated with homelessness applications and how an authority provides temporary accommodation pursuant to duties under Part 7, Housing Act 1996; \tproposed adaptations of a property and the interaction between an authority’s policy and a disabled facilities grant under the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996; \treviewing a reasonable adjustment policy for a social landlord; and, \tEU Settled Status and the impact on a possession claim. She has also successfully acted in a number of appeals including those under section 204, Housing Act 1996 appeals and an appeal by a local authority against the dismissal of a possession claim based on allegations of subletting.
Graham Stoker

Graham Stoker

Leading senior junior in the area of planning law; advises and appears for a range of local authority and private clients; promoted 12 local plans; acts for volume house builders and English Heritage; appears at planning inquiries and High Court statutory challenges; acts for a range of local planning authorities throughout the South East and the Midlands; instructed for the council in McAlpine Homes v Swale Borough Council (CO/3164/2000 to be reported), the recent leading authority after Alconbury on the application of the Human Rights Act to the local plan process; recent public inquiry appearances include Heron Homes (appeared for Heron in a successful objection to the South Gloucestershire Waste Local Plan); Barrett, Persimmon, Westbury and Bovis (appeared for a consortium of major housebuilders in objecting to the Bromsgrove Local Plan Inquiry); English Heritage (appeared for English Heritage at the Trentham Gardens and Orchardleigh Inquiries into the restoration of listed mansions by enabling development) instructed by Norton Rose; appeared for English Heritage in the High Court challenge concerning the Regent Hotel, Leamington Spa; Bovis Homes (appeared to present objections at the Colchester Local Plan Inquiry); Prowting Homes (advising Prowting Homes and Bristol College on the redevelopment of the Ashley Down Site in Bristol, the second largest group of listed buildings in the South East); Bellway Homes (appeared instructed by RPS at the Aylsbury Vale Local Plan Inquiry); Swale Borough Council (have appeared at two major call-in inquiries into employment sites in Faversham, Kent); Welwyn and Hatfield (advising on the planning strategy for the Local Plan Review); appeared for Brentwood Borough Council and Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead at Crossrail Inquiry in the House of Commons; also leading lawyer in the field of sports law retained by the UK governing body of motor sport, the Royal Automobile Club Motor Sports Association Ltd (MSA); involved in drafting the regulatory rules of motor sport, advising on the settlement of disputes, chairing disciplinary hearings and advising on the broad operation of UK motor sport under national and international law; national representative for motor sport on the UK Sport Dispute Resolution Panel (SDRP), chaired selection panel appeals concerning ‘Team England’ at 2002 Commonwealth Games, settled disputes in athletics, football, swimming, skiing, judo and many other sports; produced report into British Grand Prix at Silverstone 2001, former member of the FIA International Court of Appeal, now representative for GB on the FIA World Motor Sports Council in Paris.