Property litigator Alison is an expert in landlord and tenant law and a specialist in the retail sector. She is experienced in advising on high-value asset management issues relating to shopping centres, retail portfolios and office buildings across a range of sectors, acting for owners and occupiers.
Alison advises on various property disputes including dilapidations claims, service charge and rent review disputes, unopposed and contentious lease renewals, possession and forfeiture proceedings. In addition to landlord and tenant work, Alison also advises on development disputes, real property issues including restrictive covenants, adverse possession, rights of way and other easements including rights of light, property-related insolvency, breaches of covenant and removal of squatters.
Expertise
- Asset management issues
- Landlord and tenant law
- Lease renewals
- Dilapidations – mid-term and terminal
- Assignment and other alienation issues
- Forfeiture
- Service charge and rent review disputes
- Actions for breach of covenant, quiet enjoyment and derogation from grant
- CVAs and other insolvency options relating to property
- Development disputes
- Option notices
- Service of break notices
- Removal of squatters
- Restrictive covenants
- Original tenant liability
- Rectification disputes
Experience
- Acted on behalf of Unibail Rodamco Westfield in relation to its UK shopping centres, Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City, managing the lease renewals of more than 100 units with an annual combined rent in excess of £30million including acting on their behalf in connection with multiple court proceedings.
- Advised household-name retailers, including Clarks, Brighthouse, Johnsons and EE, in relation to the management of their real estate portfolios, dealing with various issues relating to their commercial occupational leases, including rent and service charge disputes, rent reviews, and unopposed and contentious lease renewals under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954.
- Acted for a plc with an extensive office portfolio, successfully defending a claim by one of its former landlords that it had failed to comply with the conditions attached to the break option under the lease.
- Advised a local council in its role as highway authority in relation to an action against trespassers on an area of land where there had been a long history of occupation over various parts.
- Advised a global insurer client in relation to its exit strategy from high-value premises in London including strategic advice concerning its yielding-up obligations in readiness for lease expiry and thereafter negotiating and ultimately settling a significant claim for dilapidations resulting in a full release from the landlord in relation to any claim under the lease.
- Advised an occupier of an extensive industrial estate concerning a strategic break option and multimillion-pound dilapidations claim.
- Advised various landlords, institutional funds and corporate occupiers on issues arising out of their day-to-day management/occupation of their respective real estate portfolios.
- Represented a plc in the High Court in relation to its successful claim for repayment of monies paid in error. The claim involved arguments concerning rectification, rescission, unjust enrichment and damages for misrepresentation.
- Advised a local council concerning its options to terminate a building agreement that was conditional on planning permission and various works where the developer had failed to comply with various obligations under the agreement and its funder had the option to step in and complete the development.
- Advised the freehold purchaser of a multi-let office building in central London concerning its plan to develop the building, recover possession of various parts and compulsory purchase options.
- Advising a major housebuilder in relation to enforcement options under a Section 106 Agreement.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Member of the Property Litigation Association
Recognised by The Legal 500 2022 for Property Litigation
Recommended in the Legal 500 2020 for Real Estate Litigation
“She’s good at laying out our commercial options.”
Legal 500 2020
“Clever, painstakingly thorough and very easy to get on with.”
Legal 500 2018
Recognised in Chambers and Partners 2019
Career
Alison qualified as a solicitor in 1993. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2020, she worked at DAC Beachcroft.