Paul Stevenson

Profile

Paul is a down-to-earth, friendly barrister with a wide range of interests. He puts clients at ease and aims to offer sound advice and a practical service that provides good value for money.

Prior to being called to the Bar Paul was employed by the City of London Corporation working in parliamentary affairs. Outside chambers Paul is also a trustee and chair of a registered charity, Future for Africa, which works in West Africa.

Experience

Paul has a wide experience of all areas of civil work on all levels from the Small Claims Track to the Multi Track but his particular areas of expertise are:

Property

Paul is frequently instructed in a range of property matters and appears regularly in court for both Claimants and Defendants.

Landlord and tenant

Paul has particular experience in landlord and tenant matters (both residential and commercial) in matters including possession, forfeiture, disrepair and other breaches of covenant and applications for leasehold extensions. Paul acts for a whole range of clients including private landlords, housing associations, local authorities, RSLs and mortgagees. Paul also often appears in the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal in service charge disputes.

Paul has expertise in a range of niche areas including the application of the tenants’ “right of first refusal” provisions of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987.

Real property

Paul has a varied and interesting real property practice and often advises clients, drafts pleadings and undertakes advocacy work regarding: 

• Boundary disputes;
• Easements;
• The enforcement of positive and restrictive covenants;
• Co-ownership; and
• Matters which engage the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996

Unique and cultural property

Paul has particular interest in the recovery of unique and high value items. He has a wider interest in ”cultural” property and is a member of the Institute of Art and Law.

Probate and the administration of estates

Paul has advised in probate matters, in particular the administration of estates on intestacy.

Paul has also assisted with a variety of more complex properly law matters including two appeals concerning the “Right to Buy” legislation and leasehold enfranchisement. He has also assisted in a large dispute before the High Court concerning disrepair.

Cases of interest include:

• The application of estoppel to the requirement for writing under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954;
• Resisting a claim brought by prolific “buy to let” investors against tenants for the cost of an entire bathroom refit with a successful counterclaim for the return of a deposit held under a Tenancy Deposit Scheme where the only damage to the property was to a cistern lid

Business & Commercial

Paul has experience in advising, drafting and of advocacy on all tracks in commercial matters. He has acted for a wide-range of clients in the following areas:

• Consumer contracts, including those involving utility companies and claims arising from package holidays;
• Conversion of goods, including unique and high-value goods;
• Sale of Goods Act disputes;
• Contractual disputes between sports agents;
• Commercial agreements including building and construction disputes; and
• Insolvency – both corporate and individuals 

Cases of interest include:

• A successful claim against an airline resulting in a judgment that their conduct fell outside the scope of EU Regulation 261/2004 and that their terms and conditions fell foul of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 and the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999.

Public and administrative

Paul is currently instructed by the Government as part of the Defence team in an action seeking damages for alleged complicity in the transfer of individuals to, and detention in, Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere. As a result, Paul is familiar with the challenges of working within a team engaged in very large-scale litigation and particularly the disclosure difficulties which arise in such claims.

Paul is also familiar with areas of administrative challenge including claims which engage the Data Protection Act and the Freedom of Information Act.

During pupillage Paul assisted Geraint Jones QC with the pleading and preparation of a case brought under Articles 6 and 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Employment

Paul regularly appears in employment tribunals at all stages of claims from case management discussions and pre-hearing reviews to final hearings acting for both Claimants and Respondents. Paul has experience of a wide range of employment disputes including unfair and wrongful dismissal, redundancy, TUPE, complaints where the Working Time Regulations are engaged, sex and race discrimination. 

Paul has a particular interest in claims with an international element or where diplomatic immunity is a factor.

Alongside appearances in tribunals, Paul is frequently asked to advise and draft pleadings in all manner of employment disputes and to advise on a range of specialist solutions including restraint of competition covenants and compromise agreements.

Associate Member, Property Bar Association

Member, Employment Law Bar Association

Member, Employment Lawyers Association

Member, Institute of Art and Law

South-Eastern Circuit

Qualifications

MA (Oxon)
Dip. Law
Middle Temple, Astbury Scholar, Anglo-American Scholar (2006), Harmsworth Exhibitioner