Laura Robbetts

Laura is a Partner in our first tier Property Litigation team specialising in commercial property portfolio management and real property disputes for a variety of national property investors and retailers.

Laura has experience of dealing with lease renewals under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (contested and uncontested), serving and reviewing break notices, interim and terminal claims for dilapidations, service charge disputes, recovery of rent arrears and forfeiture and possession claims acting for a range of landlords and tenants. Laura has also dealt with a number of real property disputes involving rights of way and adverse possession claims.

Laura also represents a growing number of pub tenants offering strategic advice on The Pubs Code etc. Regulations 2016.

Laura joined Clarke Willmott in 2007 having trained at a top 100 firm in Cardiff.

Laura is a member of the Law Society and Property Litigation Association.

How Laura can help you

• Lease renewals: Laura manages large portfolios of unopposed lease renewals for both landlords and tenants. Laura also has experience of dealing with opposed lease renewals (grounds (f) and (g) in particular);
• Break clauses: Laura has successfully exercised conditional break clauses for tenant clients and advised upon the validity of break notices and conditionality of break clauses for landlord clients;
• Dilapidations: Laura has acted for both landlords and tenants on interim and terminal dilapidations claims. This has included advice in relation to reinstatement obligations, tenant’s residual liability and s.18 diminution arguments and the documentation of settlements;
• Adverse possession: Laura has successfully secured adverse possession of both registered and unregistered land and also has experience of claims for adverse possession by leaseholders who have encroached onto land outside their demise;
• Pubs Code: Laura has advised a number of tied tenants on their rights under the Pubs Code, its interrelation with the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 and has dealt with a number of referrals to the Pubs Code Adjudicator.
• Adverse possession: Laura has successfully secured adverse possession of both registered and unregistered land and also has experience of claims for adverse possession by leaseholders who have encroached onto land outside their demise;
• Pubs Code: Laura has advised a number of tied tenants on their rights under the Pubs Code, its interrelation with the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 and has dealt with a number of referrals to the Pubs Code Adjudicator.

Experience

Laura acted for the successful tied tenant in its challenge to the terms of a stocking requirement proposed by the pub-owning business, Star Pubs and Bars, the leased pub business of Heineken UK.