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 on a High Court fraud claim valued at over £1 million.
- Representing parties in proceedings for Rent Repayment Orders for failure to obtain HMO licences.
- Advising on a complex possession claim following the death of a resident landlord.
- Appearing in a long running multi-party property damage dispute.
- Advising on a final account dispute involving questions of delay, adequacy of notices, and defective work
- Drafting pleadings in a claim arising out of an international investment scheme.
Recent instructions as junior counsel have included:
- Representing the Claimant, led by John de Waal KC, in a multi-million-pound claim arising out of a property development. The case also raised issues of jurisdiction and service abroad.
- 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.
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 accepts instructions through the 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:
- Advising (unled) on a fraud claim valued at over £1 million.
- Representing the Claimant, led by John de Waal KC, in a multi-million-pound claim arising out of a property development. The case also raised issues of jurisdiction and service abroad.
- Advising on obtaining an Order for Sale following a Final Charging Order over company shares.
- Drafting pleadings in a claim arising out of an international investment scheme.
- 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.
- Drafting pleadings in a ‘battle of the forms’ dispute arising out of hire of road traffic equipment.
- Advising and drafting pleadings in asset finance claims.
- Advising on the scope and applicability of a set off clause in a commercial framework agreement.
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.
- Leasehold & leasehold management
Leasehold & leasehold management
Philip regularly acts in leasehold cases involving forfeiture and service charge disputes, both in Court and the FTT.
Recent work has included:
- Representing a Local Authority in a service charge trial before the FTT.
- Appearing in FTT proceedings against a landlord who had recently been the subject of criticism in the national media. The case raised questions of the Tribunal’s ability to make orders for costs.
- Acting (led by Lina Mattsson) in proceedings concerning the interpretation of s.5 Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 in a residential development of multiple buildings.
- 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:
- Appearing in an anti-social behaviour possession claim with questions of litigation capacity.
- Representing parties in disputes following failure to obtain HMO licences. This has included proceedings for Rent Repayment Orders and drafting written representations following service of a Notice of Intent.
- Advising on obtaining vacant possession in ‘rent-to-rent’ arrangements.
- Acting pro bono in a possession trial with a disrepair counterclaim. The matter settled favourably at the door of court.
- Advising on possession and other matters following the death of a resident landlord.
- 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:
- Representing the Claimant, led by John de Waal KC, in a multi-million-pound claim arising out of a property development.
- A two-day TOLATA trial involving a dispute over a former family home.
- A long running multi-party property damage and nuisance claim following works in a high value residential flat.
- 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.
- Appearing in a long running multi-party property damage dispute following works at a residential property.
- Advising on a property damage claim following a failed pipe in a high value residential property.
- Advising on a claim for a disputed retention sum after early termination of the building contract.
- Resisting a claim for payment of adjudicator’s fees where the adjudicator resigned without giving a decision.
- Drafting pleadings in a ‘battle of the forms’ dispute arising out of sub-contracting the hire of road traffic equipment.
Philip accepts instructions through the Fixed Fee Adjudication Scheme.
Philip also 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
Philip’s recent work in this area includes:
- Advising a homeowner on questions of coverage following property damage.
- Representing a major national insurer in a dispute concerning cancellation of a car insurance policy.
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.
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