Property Litigation

"approachable, available and attentive" - Chambers 2011

"customer service par excellence" - Legal 500 2011

Property remains key for retailers and our top ranked property litigation team (Chambers Directory) is here to help retailers maximise their return on this necessary investment.

As retailers' priorities change to meet the challenges of the current market, our team is well equipped to deal with the issues of the moment, including:

• Monthly rents;
• Terminal dilapidations claims (where retailers are rationalising and vacating stores);
• Service charge disputes. For example where landlords claim expenditure which falls outside the service charge covenant (often the cost of security or lighting of common parts). Other sources of frequent dispute over service charge include promotions, mall income and weighting.
• Rent review. Bonnie Martin is an ARBRIX accredited rent review arbitrator and an RICS accredited PACT arbitrator;
• Lease renewals. We assist our clients to draft 'lease bibles' which record their best case lease renewal terms and we are successful in negotiating those terms (often on better terms than could be ordered by a court). For example we may negotiate monthly rents and relaxed provisions in the lease which allow a retail tenant to sub let part of their space or to allow in concessions thereby giving them all important flexibility in a rapidly changing market;
• We also deal with real property disputes such as easements (rights of way), boundaries, disputes over party walls, rights of light etc.;

This is just a flavour of the full service our large retail team offers.

Contact: Graham McIntyre, Bonnie Martin