Autumn Newsletter 2024

November 1, 2024

Welcome to the Autumn edition of our business and property litigation update designed to help you keep up to date with the most recent developments in this fast-moving area of law, as well as with news from Tanfield.

Recent Events

It has been a very eventful few months at Tanfield. Chambers is nothing short of bustling these days as we welcome twelve new members from 9 Stone Buildings, whose expertise and experience can only strengthen our position in the business and property market. We are also pleased to announce that Lorenzo Leoni and Thomas Dawson join Tanfield as tenants following the successful completion of their pupillages. We also celebrate the recent arrival of three pupils in Chambers, namely Sami Allan, Cameron Neilson and Julian Torres-H-Bonilla.

Tanfield is going from strength to strength as reflected by Chambers being placed in Band 2 for property litigation in the Legal 500 and retaining its Band 2 ranking for Real Estate Litigation in Chambers and Partners, boasting 17 ranked barristers. The WWL Real Estate Report 2024 has ranked Philip Rainey KC, Daniel Dovar and Carl Fain, while Richard Granby makes his debut entry into the Legal 500. Congratulations go to Robyn Cunningham for her appointment to the London B Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown. Members of Chambers have also enjoyed recognition on the other side of the Bar, with Katie Gray and Richard Granby being appointed fee paid judges.

Recent Cases, Books and Articles

Members of Tanfield continue work at the forefront of property law. Philip Rainey KC and Mark Loveday appeared for the interveners, Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners, in the Supreme Court in the case of A1 Properties v Tudor Studios RTM [2024] UKSC 27 which reframes the law concerning the validity of notices. The Supreme Court agreed with ALEP’s submissions that the proper test to be applied as to whether or not the failure to serve a notice invalidates the proceedings which ensue from it is to focus on the position of the party affected by the omission and was whether that party has been deprived of an opportunity to have their opposition to the ensuing claim considered.

Permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal has been given in the case of Kulkarni v Gwent Holdings [2024] EWHC 1357, in which Andrew Butler KC and Hugh Rowan appeared. In September 2024, Nicholas Isaac KC and Hugh Rowan succeeded in a five-day trial, proving allegations of misrepresentation and harassment in relation to the sale of a flat in the case of Birch v Meredith.

Tanfield Chambers will soon be adding to its list of publications. Following on from Tanfield’s publication of Building Safety Act 2022, published by the Law Society, work has commenced on further textbook on the Building Safety Act 2022, in partnership with 39 Essex Street.

Katie Gray has written a timely article summarising the proposed reforms the which new Labour government intends to implement, which can be found here. Robert Bowker has written an article concerning the case of Princes Park Apartments LON/00AG/HIN/2024/0001. The article considers how the FTT has dealt with fire safety cases in which an improvement notice under the Housing Act 2004 has been served and an application for a remediation order under Section 123 of the Building Safety Act 2022 has been made.

Other News

We hope you are looking forward to attending the Tanfield Junior Property Conference on 26 November 2024 at the Inner Temple. The topics addressed will include the forthcoming changes to the law relating to residential tenancies, opposing 1954 Act lease renewals, tenant insolvency and a Building Safety Act 2022 case law update. We regret to announce that the event will be winter festivities themed (as is traditional for November), so please look out for some nauseating puns in our seminar titles, and when attending, please feel free to sport any festive accessories which you feel comfortable wearing in public.

Tickets are selling fast for this event, so please book here, or contact events@tanfieldchambers.co.uk to avoid disapointment.