The social housing department at Capsticks LLP which is praised for its ‘considered and clear’ legal advice is co-led by Michael Owen and Spencer Vella Sultana. Owen is ’incredibly knowledgeable’, serving as a key advisor on housing management matters including injunction orders, powers of arrest and exclusion orders, and possession orders. A housing development specialist, Vella Sultana assists major clients on land and unit acquisitions, site development, and estate regeneration. Further experts include Suzanne Smith, who brings deep planning law knowledge to the social housing space, and Rita Saadeh, who acts for registered providers on site development and regeneration matters.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Capsticks provides a very personal and professional service. As a team they are very thorough and support each other.’
‘Always accessible and approachable. Often quick to respond and make themselves available.'
‘Capsticks LLP are unique due to their personability: the way they explain risk and options makes the decision making process simpler as they use real life cases to explain the legal technicalities. Also very responsive to queries.’
‘Capsticks' housing management team is great. They are approachable, knowledgeable, and have a number of specialists in key areas.’
‘The team continues to provide excellent service to us across a range of legal areas. They are a safe pair of hands.’
‘The team are very knowledgeable in social housing and provide considered and clear advice, showing a clear understanding of our business and the challenges faced. They have supported us through some particularly challenging and complex cases as well as day to day business and the service is always of a high quality.’
Key clients
- Oriel Housing Limited
- Ocean Housing
- Places for People
- Vivid Housing Ltd
- Aster Group
- Westward Housing
- The Guinness Partnership Limited
- Raven Housing Trust
- Paragon Asra Housing Limited
- Teign Housing
- Sovereign Network Group
Work highlights
Assisted Vivid Homes to obtain an injunction to prevent the defendant from abusing and harassing our client’s employees and to clear dangerous materials from the property.
Acted for Sovereign Network to obtain an injunction excluding the Defendant from its housing stock, after severe ASB/drug-related activity was reported throughout one of their estates.
Acted for Oriel Housing Limited on the acquisition and construction of 124 new affordable housing units in Reading, despite the seller not yet having been registered as the legal owner.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Spencer Vella Sultana
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Rita Saadeh
Practice head
Michael Owen; Spencer Vella Sultana
Other key lawyers
Suzanne Smith; Rita Saadeh