Tanfield Chambers continues to strengthen its position in Chambers UK 2009, with members of Chambers being recommended as leaders in their field across 2 specialist areas.

 

Chambers had 7 members recommended in Real Estate Litigation, with the editors commenting that Tanfield “has an abundance of tenants who can assist with real estate litigation work. Commentators feel that the real strength at the set lies in its juniors, all of whom ‘bend over backwards to help you out’”.

 

Philip Rainey is “praised for being ‘acute and academic’ in his advice. Particularly renowned for leasehold enfranchisement, he appeared for the successful appellant in the case of Howard de Walden Estates Ltd v Aggio, overturning earlier case law that head lessees had the right to claim lease extensions under the Leasehold Reform Act 1993. Interviewees remarked that Rainey has ‘real stature and standing, and an impressive intellect to boot’”.

 

Michael Buckpitt is “’extremely experienced’ when it comes to landlord and tenant issues, covenant breaches and leasehold enfranchisement. He was recently instructed before the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal concerning the imposition of restrictive covenants on a house in London valued in the region of £20-30 million”. 

 

James Fieldsend is “’very knowledgeable’ and regularly advises clients on their property portfolios, whether they be large organisations or individual investors. He recently acted on a number of service charge disputes, one of which involved a tenant-run management company”.

 

Christopher Heather has “’an assure manner with clients’, and proves ‘confident and articulate in his addresses’. His practice covers all aspects of property litigation, real property and landlord and tenant work, but he is perhaps best known for leasehold enfranchisement and has been frequently instructed in the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal and Lands Tribunal. He was recently involved in a significant case regarding the requirements for the validity of various notices in right-to-buy claims and the extent to which bad faith is relevant”.

 

Mark Loveday is “favoured by clients for being ‘direct and straight to the point’. One significant highlight of this year was a claim by a central London estate against a well-known managing agent relating to the alleged mismanagement of 18 mixed commercial and residential properties with a value exceeding £500,000. He is praised for being ‘really approachable and completely practical’”.

 

Andrew Butler “continues to expand his property practice: in the past year he was involved in claims of easement interference and undue influence in respect of a mortgage”.

 

Tim Polli was described as “’business-focused and sensible’ and has a broad practice that sees him being regularly instructed by non-contentious departments to provide advice on negotiated deals. Representative of his work is his involvement in advising an institutional lender regarding 115 separate mortgage accounts with a cumulative value of £17 million".

 

Stephen Monkcom continues to be recognised as a leader in Licensing. He is “’at the top of the pile for advisory work’, and is seen as ‘an impressive academic with an excellent legal mind’. Clients turn to him for tricky cases, and his practice covers the full spectrum of gambling, entertainment and alcohol licensing. In the past year he has advised a number of online Fantasy Competitions and bingo operators on the impact of the new gambling legislation”.