Neil is a highly accomplished commercial litigator whose practice substantially involves disputes in a business context. Whilst providing friendly, pragmatic and plain-speaking advice, he is also known as a tenacious advocate who argues his client’s case without flinching or backing off under pressure. In a particularly difficult case, one senior Chancery Judge remarked that the client should be grateful to Neil for his “dogged and determined advocacy”. He has built a formidable reputation for always turning round urgent paperwork so as to meet client requirements and deadlines.
My work
Many of Neil’s cases involve land and property issues and, from the development of his practice over the years, he has extensive practical experience in commercial landlord and tenant and general property litigation including conveyancing, easements and boundaries as well as commercial and contractual disputes. This has led to Neil being commended in the Legal 500 as a Leading Junior for Property work. Neil is regularly instructed by mortgage lenders and has significant expertise in difficult repossession issues and professional negligence claims against solicitors and surveyors.
About me
I am a highly experienced litigator with a less traditional background than many other members of the Bar. From a comprehensive school in London, I went on to graduate in Law from Cambridge University and am probably the only member of the Bar who is a fully trained fork-lift truck driver!
Over several decades my practice has evolved to concentrate on a variety of areas of civil work. From the very early days, gaining court-room experience covering almost everything and anything thrown my way (then including crime and matrimonial), I developed a specialism in Landlord & Tenant work, initially in residential housing and, subsequently, commercial property covering lease renewals, dilapidations, repossessions etc.
As the property market suffered its ebbs and flows, I developed a professional negligence practice, frequently acting for main stream, and well-known, banks and lending institutions in claims against surveyors, solicitors and other professionals.
This background has been a useful springboard for my general commercial practice, covering all forms of contractual disputes usually, but not exclusively in a business context. My client base is broad, ranging from reasonably sized companies to individuals.
I am more than competent in dealing with all kinds of property disputes whether concerning boundary and trespass issues or TOLATA applications and conveyancing problems.
In meeting and helping clients, I am known for giving friendly, frank and straight-forward advice – I like to think that I understand normal people and they understand me. I have built my practice on dealing with instructions quickly and efficiently – over all the years, I like to think that I have never missed a deadline. Clients find me both approachable and easily available to help with their problems.
My cases cover a wide spectrum. In 2015 I was involved in one of the largest cases dealt with by the Commercial Court in that year, representing the main defendant in a multi-million-pound claim by a middle-eastern bank against its former Chief Executive. I was responsible for initiating, and then taking through to a successful conclusion, a very well-publicised claim against the Registrar of Companies who had negligently publicised the winding up of an engineering company, a mistake that had catastrophic consequences for its business. At the other end of the scale, I successfully acted for an elderly couple who were in a bitter dispute with their estranged daughter over her claimed beneficial interest in their land following her development of a bungalow on part of the plot and the background and alleged promises that had led to the construction project.
In Court I am known for being a tenacious advocate and, where appropriate, will not back down under pressure when arguing my client’s case.
I am a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a member of the Chancery Bar Association, the Commercial Bar Association, the Property Bar Association and the Professional Negligence Bar Association
As what is known as a “senior junior” I bring many years of experience into my cases but, with a commercial and realistic appreciation of the costs of litigation, for considerably less fees than engaging a silk.
- London
- Hertfordshire