Chris is a property litigation specialist who works primarily on commercial property disputes. He advises on a wide range of matters including all things relating to landlord and tenant law, real property and contract disputes. He has extensive experience in areas including business lease renewals, enforcement action, alienation issues, break options, possession actions, occupational status disputes, and dilapidations. In the real property arena, Chris advises on issues such as restrictive covenants, adverse possession and easements. He also has a wide range of experience in residential property matters. Chris has clients across a range of different sectors.
Chris deals with cases in a variety of court and tribunals including the High Court, County Court, First Tier and Upper Tribunal (Property Divisions) and has dealt with cases in the Court of Appeal. He is a strong proponent of ADR and regularly uses mediation and other forms of ADR in order to successfully resolve disputes.
Expertise
Chris advises on commercial landlord and tenant matters, business lease renewals, break options, and dilapidations, service charges and rent reviews, lease expiry issues, and property advisory work.
Experience
Acted for a global bank in exiting 17 different leasehold premises under conditional break options and managing the relocation to new City-based premises.
Acted for a major retail tenant in opposed lease renewal proceedings of premises in Covent Garden.
Acted on a major rent review arbitration for large industrial premises for an energy client.
Acted for a landlord on a dilapidations claim against a longstanding former tenant of an industrial unit. The successful claim resulted in full recovery of the cost of works carried out, a loss of rent element, and costs.
Chris handles commercial property disputes, property sale disputes, arrears recovery, forfeiture and other enforcement methods, breaches of leasehold covenants, possession proceedings and disputes over status of occupiers, restrictive covenants, and development disputes.
Experience
Acted in High Court proceedings concerning an opposed business lease renewal of restaurant premises on the Strand and a related long-term business partnership dispute.
Acted in Court of Appeal proceedings concerning the ability of the English court to extend time for appeals against registration and enforcement of European judgments.
Acted for a national hairdressing chain in High Court proceedings for breach of repairing covenant and failure to repair.
Successfully acted for an investment landlord in proceedings defending multiple allegations of breaches of covenant, quiet enjoyment, repudiatory breach of contract, unreasonable withholding of consent and service charge disputes.
Acted for an investment client in a purchase dispute concerning the right to terminate contracts following a failure to complete new-build flats within time on a large-scale development.
Acted in the FTT in forfeiture actions and determination of breach of covenant proceedings.
Acted in High Court proceedings for a major department-store client in relation to a substantial breach of covenant claim and counterclaims concerning termination of rent concessions.
Successfully defended forfeiture proceedings in respect of a long leasehold interest of petrol station premises following alleged multiple breaches of covenants. Parallel Section 84 application to the Lands Tribunal to amend terms of the lease.
Successfully resisted adverse possession claims on behalf of a large energy company in both registered and unregistered land claims.
Acted in successful proceedings in an application for a prescriptive right of way in connection with medical surgery premises.
Instructed by a landowner against a developer initially on a trespass matter which developed into an adverse possession application. The developer issued an application for adverse possession but following extensive representations our client was successful in having the application dismissed by the Land Registry.
Chris advises retail clients on complex real estate disputes, including lease renewals, repairing obligations, forfeiture actions and covenant issues.
Experience
Acted for a national hairdressing chain in High Court proceedings for breach of repairing covenant and failure to repair.
Acted in High Court proceedings for a major department-store client in relation to a substantial breach of covenant claim and counterclaims concerning termination of rent concessions.
Successfully defended forfeiture proceedings in respect of a long leasehold interest of petrol station premises following alleged multiple breaches of covenants. Parallel Section 84 application to the Lands Tribunal to amend terms of the lease.
Acted for a major retail tenant in opposed lease renewal proceedings of premises in Covent Garden.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Recognised by The Legal 500 for Property Litigation 2016–2022, 2024–2026
Member of the Property Litigation Association
Chris qualified as a solicitor in 2004. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2020, he worked at the following firms:
