Andrew has over 25 years' experience specialising in property disputes, contract disputes and professional negligence claims. His property litigation experience spans the full range and includes dilapidations claims, enforcing covenants, tenant insolvency, restrictive covenants, lease renewals and suing other solicitors who have drafted property documents negligently.
He is an experienced tactician, a solicitor advocate. He recently won a Court of Appeal case, as sole advocate, successfully arguing against the QC on the other side. Andrew is also experienced at using “no win no fee” to his clients’ benefit.
Andrew is currently acting on one of the first rent arbitrations under the Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Act 2022 addressing a 7-figure level of arrears on a trophy asset. He has already got the arbitrator to order the tenant to produce a lot of additional accounting documentation to ensure that the tenant does not falsely claim impecuniosity.
Andrew acted for the successful tenants in the largest ever enfranchisement claim -
Westbrook Dolphin Square Limited v Friends Life Ltd.
He acted for the successful defendants in a dispute concerning a failed joint venture to build a shopping centre in Wolverhampton. Andrew’s clients were sued for £56 million. The judge ordered them to pay just £2 (and made their opponents reimburse Andrew’s clients' legal costs).
He recently took Lidl to the Court of Appeal on a joint venture property dispute, and recovered a very substantial overage payment for a local authority.
Andrew acts for several large institutional pension fund landlords, as well as several entrepreneurial property companies. But he also acts for smaller businesses and institutions. He recently settled a claim by a property agent whose introduction fee a national housebuilder had refused to pay. Andrew also successfully defended a widow from an attempt by her relatives to take her late husband's estate, and a local charity whose landlord tried (but failed) to forfeit the charity’s 89 year lease.
The Legal directories describe Andrew as “shrewd and determined’ (Legal 500 2018 edition) and “a real fighter” who “completely runs the show in landlord and tenant stuff”” (Chambers 2013). The Legal 500 (2017 edition) has described him as having “boundless enthusiasm” with “great attention to detail and considerable tenancy.” As Chambers UK 2015 states "he's very commercial. He sees the wood for the trees and has your interests at heart.”
"He is a great strategist who grasps the key issues super fast, is robust in his advice and always offers practical solutions."
Chambers UK 2023