Practice overview
Philip specialises in Property, Construction, Commercial, and related Professional Negligence. Philip is in court regularly, for both applications and trials, appearing in the High Court, County Court, and FTT (Property Chamber). He also has a busy paperwork practice, both advising and settling pleadings.
Recent instructions as sole counsel have included:
- A two-day TOLATA trial involving issues of resulting and constructive trusts.
- Advising on the enforceability of restrictive covenants on a high value private estate.
- Advising a landlord in a commercial service charge dispute following significant capital expenditure.
- Representing clients in several consumer construction disputes.
- Advising on a complex possession claim following the death of a resident landlord.
- Representing a local authority in a residential service charge dispute before the FTT.
- Advising on a final account dispute involving questions of delay, adequacy of notices, and defective work.
Recent instructions as junior counsel have included:
- Assisting Brie Stevens-Hoare KC on a boundary dispute with background allegations of harassment and professional misconduct.
- Acting as junior (led by Michael Wheater KC) in a construction dispute concerning the defective renovation of a school hall roof.
- Advising on a claim based on adverse possession following expiry of a grazing licence.
During pupillage, Philip’s work included:
- Assisting on FM Conway Ltd v The Rugby Football Union & Ors [2023] EWCA Civ 418, the leading authority on the operation of the co-insurance defence.
- Assisting on an application regarding service by alternative means of a claim form out of the jurisdiction.
- Assisting on a high profile, 3-day trial in the FTT (General Regulatory Chamber) concerning disqualification of a charity trustee.
Philip has experience in Non-Domestic Rates litigation, having assisted with Ludgate House Limited v Andrew Ricketts (VO) and London Borough of Southwark [2023] UKUT 36 during pupillage and appearing in the Magistrate’s Court in an application to set aside a Liability Order.
Philip is also committed to pro bono work, appearing in the winding up court via the COIN scheme and representing a tenant in a possession trial where he was able to achieve a favourable settlement shortly before court. Philip also completed Advocate’s ‘Pupil Pledge’ during pupillage.
Philip is happy to consider instructions under Gatehouse Chambers' Fixed Fee Adjudication Scheme.
Philip studied Law at Selwyn College, Cambridge, where he received the Thomson Reuters and David Gottlieb Prizes for academic performance after coming first overall in his year, as well as the Land Law Prize, and passed the BCL with Distinction at Magdalen College, Oxford.
Outside of the law, Philip enjoys playing hockey and watching cricket.
Areas of expertise
- Commercial dispute resolution
Commercial dispute resolution
Philip’s recent CDR work has included:
- Representing the vehicle owner in a motorsport claim involving issues of rectification of an indemnity, and fault in the cause of a crash.
- Obtaining a Final Charging Order in the High Court on a case concerning complex overlapping issues of service abroad, ongoing Family Court proceedings, and allegations of abuse of process.
- Advising and drafting pleadings in asset finance claims.
- Advising on the scope and applicability of a set off clause in a commercial framework agreement.
- Appearing in court on debt recovery matters, including at the enforcement stage.
Philip also has an interest in franchising work. Recent work in this field has included:
- Striking out a claim against a national removal services franchise.
- Successfully representing a franchisor at trial against a former franchisee.
During pupillage, Philip gained experience of a broad range of commercial litigation, including:
- Advising on the applicable law in a cross-border dispute concerning introductory agents in a real estate transaction.
- Assisting a member of chambers with an application concerning alternative service of a claim form out of the jurisdiction.
- Property
- Commercial landlord & tenant
Commercial landlord & tenant
Philip’s recent work in this area includes:
- Advising a landlord in a commercial service charge dispute following significant capital expenditure.
- Advising a landlord of a mixed used property in forfeiture proceedings involving questions of validity of assignments and issues under the Landlord and Tenant (Covenants) Act 1995
- Drafting Particulars of Claim in a terminal dilapidations claim involving issues of the scope of any defence of supersession.
- Advising a Local Authority in forfeiture proceedings relating to the lease of a village hall.
- During pupillage, Philip assisted with a case concerning dilapidations of a large commercial office space.
- Housing (social & privately rented)
Housing (social & privately rented)
Philip has a busy Housing practice, appearing regularly in court on possession, injunction, disrepair, and anti-social behaviour matters. He also has a busy paperwork practice, both advising and drafting proceedings. Philip regularly advises on disrepair cases on questions of liability and quantum.
Other recent work has included:
- Advising on possession and other matters following the death of a resident landlord.
- Representing a Local Authority in a service charge trial before the FTT.
- Acting pro bono in a possession trial with a disrepair counterclaim. The matter settled favourably at the door of court.
- Drafting written representations following service of a Notice of Intent for breach of HMO licensing requirements.
- Advising on complex points concerning the Tenant Fees Act 2019 arising out of s.21 proceedings.
- Real property & mortgages
Real property & mortgages
Philip has a busy Real Property practice, both in court and paperwork. Recent work has included:
- A two-day TOLATA trial involving a dispute over a former family home.
- Assisting Brie Stevens-Hoare KC in a boundary dispute which also involves allegations of harassment and stalking.
- Advising (led by Emily Betts) on adverse possession of farmland following expiry of a grazing licence.
- Advising and settling pleadings in a claim against mortgagees for sale at an undervalue.
- Advising on the enforceability of freehold covenants on a high value private estate.
- Appearing in the Magistrate’s court in an application to set aside a Non-Domestic Rates Liability Order.
- Settling pleadings in a nuisance claim following a leaking pipe adjacent to a golf course.
Philip gained broad experience in Real Property disputes during pupillage, including:
- Assisting with drafting pleadings in a proprietary estoppel claim.
- Assisting in Ludgate House Limited v Andrew Ricketts (VO) and London Borough of Southwark [2023] UKUT 36, the leading case on the effectiveness of property guardianship schemes as rate mitigation devices.
- Assisting a member of chambers in complex possession proceedings involving subrogation and overriding interests.
- Commercial landlord & tenant
- Construction & engineering
Construction & engineering
Philip’s recent construction work has included:
- Advising on a final account dispute involving questions of delay, adequacy of notices, and defective work.
- Representing a developer in a property damage trial.
- Acting as a junior (led by Michael Wheater KC) on a dispute involving the defective renovation of a school hall roof.
- Resisting a claim for payment of adjudicator’s fees where the adjudicator resigned without giving a decision.
- Drafting, advising, and representing clients in consumer construction disputes.
Philip accepts instructions through the Fixed Fee Adjudication Scheme.
Philip gained an experience of a range of construction disputes during pupillage, including assisting on FM Conway Ltd v The Rugby Football Union & Ors [2023] EWCA Civ 418 and advising a management company on the remedies available under the Building Safety Act 2022.
- Insurance & reinsurance
Insurance & reinsurance
During pupillage, Philip assisted on FM Conway Ltd v The Rugby Football Union & Ors [2023] EWCA Civ 418, the leading case on the co-insurance defence. He also assisted a member of chambers advising on the ability to pursue claims against a dissolved company’s insurer.
More recently, he advised a homeowner on questions of coverage following property damage.
Qualifications
MA – University of Cambridge, Law, Double First
BCL – Oxford, Distinction
BPC – University of Law, Outstanding
Professional associations
- Property Bar Association
- London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association
