Property & Planning

Lisa has vast experience across a broad range of property matters, including more complex boundary and rights of way disputes, involving detailed consideration of conveyances and expert surveyors’ reports. In numerous boundary and rights of way disputes, Lisa has attended mediations on site and been able to negotiate a favourable outcome for clients.

A large area of Lisa’s property law practice involves dealing with landlord and tenant matters, including forfeiture proceedings, relief from forfeiture, service charge disputes and 1954 Act proceedings. Lisa is frequently instructed by large commercial landlords and tenants in respect of business tenancy renewals and high value dilapidation claims, where her pragmatic and collaborative approach is valued by clients.

Lisa also frequently acts in insolvency cases with a property element, such as possession proceedings by trustees in bankruptcy, involving issues under Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996.

Lisa is particularly adept at researching niche points of law and using various authorities to support her case at Court. With vast advocacy experience Lisa is able to deal with more complex litigation where her thorough preparation is always an asset. She is valued for her attention to detail, thorough preparation and excellent trial advocacy skills. Lisa is able to review and critique substantial expert surveyor reports with ease. Clients have described her as “methodical and tenacious” during cross examination.

Lisa is on the Attorney General’s Panel B of Regional Counsel.

Examples of Cases:

• A v OE Ltd -Successfully acting for the purchasers of a freehold property on a new build development in relation to the recoverability of estate charges following a three-day trial. Case involved technical and complex issues of construction of the TP1 and a claim in respect of a defect roof.
• K v W – Successfully acting for a mortgagee in a 3-day trial and successfully obtained possession in a case involving technical issues as to whether mortgage was enforceable.
• D v S – Acting for a defendant in a 5-day contempt of court trial arising from some 30 alleged breaches of undertakings not to interfere with a neighbour’s right of way. Successfully resisted findings of breach on most of the allegations by raising technical points as to enforceability of the undertakings. The Defendant was able to avoid a custodial sentence despite some admitted breaches.
• J v P: Obtaining an injunction at trial restraining interference with a right of way to access a path.
• H v A: Acting for tenants in a very substantial dispute over the level of administration and service charges levied by the Defendant upon the Claimant in respect of the Claimant’s portfolio of 10 properties. Case involved detailed analysis as to the terms of two long-term maintenance contracts (with a value of over £1m each) entered into by the Defendant as well as issues over compliance with the Public Contracts Regulations (SI 2015/202).
• B v N: Acting for Defendants in a trial involving claims in nuisance and trespass arising from disputes over rights of access and rights of support on a wall; case settled favourably at Court.
• N v J&R: Acting for third parties seeking to intervene in mortgagee possession proceedings on the basis that they had an overriding interest in the property.
• Acting for landlord and tenants in a variety of dilapidations claims including:
  • Acting for  landlord in a terminal dilapidations claim of around £300k (for cost of repairs, loss of rent etc) relation to shop premises occupied by a national hardware store.
  • Acting for landlord in a terminal dilapidations claim in relation to commercial premises against a national coffee chain.
  • Acted for a council landlord in a dilapidations claim in relation to a farm premises.
  • Acting for a landlord relation to a dilapidations claim in relation to a pizza premises.