- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Civil Fraud
- Clinical Negligence & Healthcare
- Commercial, Chancery & Property
- Court of Protection
- Credit Hire
- Crime
- Family Law
- Financial Crime
- Inquests & Inquiries
- Personal Injury
- Police Law
- Professional Negligence
- Public Sector & Human Rights
- Regulatory & Disciplinary
- Travel & Cross Border Claims
Robert Parkin
Call: 2009
Robert Parkin is an established mixed civil practitioner, specialising in property litigation, personal injury, the rights and duties of local authorities, the interface between all three; and all with a global focus.
Robert has held an unusually large number of roles in the legal sector, having previously been a paralegal advocate, solicitor, a solicitor-advocate, and a OISC Level 3 accredited immigration consultant. He brings this range of expertise to the bar and uses it to find innovative solutions to common problems- having often faced similar problems himself at one time in practice.
Robert has a primarily property-related practice with the following areas of specialism:
- Residential property, particularly actions relating to disrepair under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.
- Possession proceedings and related claims relating to mishandled deposits, rent repayment orders, or other similar remedies, including, most memorably, an action by a foreign government to recover possession of a grace and favour property in the UK from a rogue member of diplomatic staff.
- Commercial property, particularly relating to leasehold actions under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954.
- Claims relating to trusts of property, particularly under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 (TOLATA), the property interests of religious trusts, and s.423 Insolvency Act 1986. These claims often have an overseas element, with recent claims involving property in Spain, India, Cyprus, St Lucia, and the United Arab Emirates.
- Mortgage and bridging loan repossession actions, having previously acted for both commercial lenders and mortgagors in financial difficulties; including on one occasion concerning a failure to make sufficient repayments under a multi-million pound specialist mortgage affecting a large property in Central London.
- Probate, especially claims for provision for dependants under the Inheritance Act 1975 and applications relating to the removal of executors and obtaining estate accounts.
- Non-contentious drafting, including preparation of contracts, template terms and conditions, wills and trust deeds, and settlement agreements. Examples include agreements in respect of film rights; an indemnity complying with the SRA’s requirements for a disposal of residual client account funds to charity; an agreement between agent and a racing driver; and terms of settlement between the trustees of the estate of a person convicted of murder and potential claimants for civil damages by the dependants of the victim.
Robert acts for both Claimants and Defendants in a wide range of personal injury claims. He specialised in four main areas:
- Claims under the Highways Act 1980 relating to slips and trips on the public highway. He has acted in the defence of such claims for a range of high-profile clients, including a household-name national charity; an airport; and a very wide range of local authorities.
- Claims arising from housing conditions under Defective Premises Act 1972, with a particular specialisation in respiratory conditions relating to damp and mould. Robert acts for individuals, housing associations, local authorities, and trade unions funded litigants.
- Personal injury claims where fraud is alleged or suspected. Robert has secured findings under s.57 CJCA for a number of nationally recognised insurers and secured substantial judgment for individuals facing allegations of fraud.
- Negligence claims relating to damage to infrastructure, a niche area of law where the damage caused is to retail property or street furniture, and can (but does not necessarily) involve actual PSLA. Robert has acted for high profile clients, including a well-known supermarket chain, public transport network providers, and utility companies.
Much of Robert’s work is global in nature, with claims relating to accidents in jurisdictions as far flung as Mexico, Turkey, Malta, and the Maldives.
Robert has a very broad public services practice, with a particular focus on:
- The property-related interests and liabilities of local authorities, particularly relating to housing, redevelopment, or maintenance obligations.
- Work under the Mental Health Act 1983 and related fields. Robert has developed a specialist practice relating to claims for an order displacing the nearest relative.
Additionally, Robert has a background in reasonably high-profile immigration practice, having in the past advised a range of high-profile clients, including diplomats, foreign governments, governmental bodies in the UK, an overseas football federation, high net worth foreign investors, heads of foreign businesses, large religious organisations, and on one occasion, a well-known Hollywood actor and comedian.
While he no longer undertakes routine appeal work, Robert uses that background to inform areas of public law with a strong overlap with immigration. He routinely advises local authorities in respect of age assessment claims, forced marriage prevention orders, and other similar challenges.
Outside of his usual specialisms, Robert has been involved in a very wide range of public work, including, but not limited to: professional regulation; inquests; housing allocation; information rights; social security; criminal injury compensation; licencing; charity proceedings; diplomatic premises; and medical ethics.
Robert has been widely recognised as a leading authority on the operation of the Damages Claims Portal pilot scheme, following the production of a market leading analysis of the ramifications of the DCP system in 2023. He is routinely instructed by firms of solicitors who may have struggled with the implementation of DCP.
A regular theme in Robert’s work involves either seeking relief from sanctions or the imposition of those sanctions where litigation has been poorly handled by one party or another.
Robert also deals with making and resisting applications for civil contempt orders. He appeared for the plea in mitigation on behalf of the respondent party in the first known action for civil contempt ever brought by an NHS trust in English legal history.
Regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB)
Regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and holds a current practising certificate.
View my privacy policy.
Regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB)
Regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and holds a current practising certificate.
View my privacy policy.
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Deka Chambers: 5 Norwich Street, London EC4A 1DR
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