Commercial, Chancery & Property

Overview

The Commercial, Chancery & Property team consists of over 30 members of varying seniority and experience, led by sought-after and highly skilled practitioners.

Between 2017 and 2025, we have had particular experience of Construction cases involving:

• Energy, environmental and infrastructure projects;
• Claims involving Building Warranties and other insurance policies, including Third Party (Rights Against Insurers) Act 2010 cases and policy interpretation;
• Defective Premises Act 1972 claims;
• Remediation Orders, Remediation Contribution Orders and Building Liability Orders under the Building Safety Act 2022;
• Standard form and bespoke construction contracts disputes;
• Contribution claims for and against owners, developers, sub-contractors;
• Social Housing and local authority expertise;
• Cladding and other building / fire safety defects;
• Delay & Disruption claims;
• Engineering disputes;
• Property Damage claims and injunctions;
• Professional Negligence actions involving Construction professionals and their Insurers;
• Construction ADR (adjudications and mediations) & Arbitrations.

Contentious probate and trust litigation are particular specialisms of a number of members of the team, who deal with cases involving contested and competing wills, Inheritance Act claims, applications for the removal of executors and trustees, co-ownership, Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act (‘TLATA’) 1996 and disputes and claims relating to constructive trusts and estoppel.

The team covers all areas of property law with specialists in commercial and residential landlord & tenant law (including social housing), mortgages, restrictive covenants, adverse possession, easements and Land Registration issues.

All members of the group undertake work in relation commercial disputes. Members have particular expertise in claims relating to the sale of land, agents’ commissions, construction and engineering projects, insurance coverage and franchise agreements. The team’s work in property, chancery and commercial matters often overlaps into the area of professional negligence.

Furthermore, a full range of insolvency matters, covering both personal bankruptcy and corporate insolvency are dealt with. This includes preliminary matters such as applications to restrain proceedings through to contested petitions. Our members are often involved in difficult recovery actions both for and against insolvency office holders.

Commercial, Chancery & Property Expertise

• Construction

Notable Cases

• Health & Safety Executive v Developer (2025)
• Evolve Housing v Contractor, Architects & Ors (2023)
• Leaseholders v L&Q (2024)
• Azizi v Dama Construction (2025)
• Compass v Prodirect (2023)
• L&Q v Insurers (2025)
• SNG v Insurers (2024)
• NHG v Allenbuild & Ors (2024)
• A2D v Insurers (2023)
• Clyne v Conlon [2021] EWHC 2444 (Ch)
• Administration of Estates and the granting of Beddoe’s protection.
• Kitover v Galmarley Ltd (t/a BullionVault.com) [2021] EWHC 609 (Ch.D)
  Stakeholder application and allegations of illegality.
• N3 Living Limited v Burgess [2020] EWHC 1711 (Ch.D)
  The appropriate method of dealing with a Form A restriction by the appointment of the second trustee.
• Stoffel & Co. v Grondona [2020] UKSC 42 (Supreme Court)
• Truewood Ltd, Re (Duckworth v Parekh) [2020] EWHC 2360 (Ch.D)
  Setting aside a debarring order in misfeasance proceedings under .s212 Insolvency Act 1986.
• Dhillon v Dhillon [2019] EWHC 2442 (Ch.D)
  Beddoe application.
• Devani v Wells [2019] UKSC 9 (Supreme Court)