Jack Dillon

Areas of expertise

• Commercial dispute resolution

  Commercial dispute resolution

  Jack has established a broad commercial dispute practice, comprising contractual disputes, partnership & joint venture disputes, franchising, fraud, fiduciary duties, directors’ duties & shareholder disputes, contractual good faith, conflict of law and foreign law, insurance, sale of goods, banking & finance, asset recovery.

  In addition to litigation, Jack’s practice spans arbitration disputes, and ADR such as mediation and expert determination.

  Jack’s recent and current work includes:

  • Countrywide v. BluePrometheus (2021) – franchising claim for interim relief to enforce covenants in restraint of trade.
  • UNCITRAL Arbitration over a director’s letter of indemnity.
  • La Cotte v. Sovereign [2021] EWHC 1517 – three-week Chancery Division trial conducted fully remotely, defeating claims for fraud, conspiracy, breach of fiduciary duty and good faith, breach of confidence, procuring breach, unlawful interference and successfully counter-claiming for conversion in relation to the scrap metal business, and obtaining indemnity costs.  Led at trial by David Lewis QC.
  • GMS Chemedica v. Persons Unknown & HSBC (2021) – successfully obtaining interim relief against anonymous cybercriminals, comprised of proprietary injunction over unknown bank accounts combined with Bankers Trust disclosure to identify the frozen accounts.
  • Ad hoc arbitration dispute concerning dentist’s fees following termination of licence (2021).
  • Stellison v. Bergmann – dispute concerning defective compacting machinery.
  • Robelen Enterprises v. Bluebird – franchising appeal before Spencer J, concerning termination of social care franchise, including whether termination was in good faith, and subsequent enforcement action.
  • Sheikh Tahnoon v. Kent [2018] EWHC 333 (Comm) and [2018] EWHC 614 (Comm) (costs) – four week claim before Leggatt J, defeating a claim based on a demerger agreement and promissory note relating to an international hotel business and online travel business on grounds of blackmail, physical intimidation and economic duress, breach of good faith.  Led by David Lewis QC.
• Property

  Property

  Jack is recommended as a leading junior by Legal 500.  He practises across real property, landlord and tenant disputes, (commercial and residential) ownership of registered and unregistered land (beneficial ownership, adverse possession), use of and rights over land (easements, covenants, licences) especially in relation to development land, neighbour disputes (boundaries, nuisance), mortgages.

  Jack’s commercial landlord and tenant practice covers all areas, including dilapidations, rent reviews, 1954 Act work, consents, service charges.  On the residential leasehold side Jack covers management issues, collective enfranchisement and lease extension, breach determinations, cladding, forfeiture and relief.

  Jack also has a particular experience in urgent High Court possession matters.

  Current and recent work includes:

  • Unreasonable refusal of consent to alterations in a shopping centre.
  • Dispute concerning restrictive covenant preventing development of unregistered land.
  • Groves v. Jones – dispute over beneficial ownership of residential land owned by deceased, resolved at remote mediation.
  • Numerous urgent High Court (QBD and Chancery Division) possession proceedings against trespassers, fly-tippers and rave organisers in public and private sites, including the first remote possession hearing under the QBD coronavirus protocol
  • Lagah v. Lagah – ownership case, involving undue influence and forgery.
  • Warwick Mansions v. Snel/O’Connor – string of FTT hearings to determine disputes over major works to upgrade electric services in a residential block and establishment of a sinking fund.
  • Dahou v. Dahou – 5 day trial before HHJ Evans with 12 witnesses over ownership of property going back to the late 1980s.
  • Marksglade v. Edun – application for determination of breach in relation to roof terrace development.
  • Foundation v. M7 – cladding dispute.
  • Advising national haulage company about restrictive covenants affecting proposed site for purchase.
  • Sunflower v. Willow – claim against management company over electricity disconnection.
  • Four Seasons v. Morden Properties Ltd – successfully opposing urgent application to reinstate on two hours’ notice.
  • Sangerwal v. Sparquote – opposed urgent application for injunctive relief allowing financial services use.
• Professional liability

  Professional liability

  Jack is recommended as a legal professional junior by the Legal 500.  His professional negligence practice focusses primarily on the legal, property, and financial sectors and cases involving solicitors (and barristers), financial advice (IFAs, accountants, insurance brokers) and property professions (surveyors, architects etc).  He acts for a range of professionals (and insurers) and claimants and understands the need to for technical expertise combined with a sensible strategic and commercial approach.

  Jack combines his professional negligence practice with related insurance matters, particularly coverage disputes in professional indemnity policies.

  Current and recent work includes:

  • Numerous claims against solicitors acting in divorce cases asserting unsettlement in relation to financial remedies and especially pension sharing orders.
  • Claims arising from property transactions, particularly in relation to ground rent escalation clauses in long residential leases giving rise to the potential creation of ASTs and also in relation to multiple dwellings relief.
  • Claim against solicitors for failure to ensure that a residential property had been awarded listed building consent prior to its purchase.
  • Defending claim for £100k for solicitors’ conduct of the defence of various claims against the claimant by former clients.
  • Claim against surveyor over rat infestation.
  • Claim concerning assignment of a business lease without car parking spaces.
  • Instructions from insurers in numerous claims following SRA interventions.
  • Defending claim against surveyor concerning defects in residential property.
  • AB v. Nationwide – disclosure application before Morgan J in the ‘Right to Buy’ litigation.
  • Acting as junior on a claim (successfully settled pre-action) against counsel for failure to advise correctly in relation to a tax adviser’s retainer, causing client to pursue unsuccessful litigation.