About

Provided by Burges Salmon LLP

Our real estate dispute resolution team provides market-leading advice on managing real estate disputes and mitigating risks related to real estate assets.

Time-sensitive real estate disputes require swift, high-quality legal advice, and the size and expertise of our team enable us to consistently meet client expectations, even in the most challenging cases.

We focus on early resolution through pragmatic, commercial, and innovative strategies. However, we also bring extensive experience in successfully litigating in courts and tribunals when necessary to meet our clients’ commercial objectives.

We maintain strong relationships with a wide range of clients, span commercial property institutions, banks, investment companies, and high net worth individuals, who trust us to deliver results efficiently. Clients include Severn Trent Water, St.Modwen, Tritax BigBox, The Post Office, St James’s Place, Virgin, John Lewis Partnership, Pennon Group, the Greater London Authority, and the Competition and Markets Authority.

Our expert service covers everything from initial advice in the early stages of a dispute to handling technically complex litigation and asset management for large-scale property portfolios.

From commercial landlord and tenant matters to property-related professional negligence claims, we ensure comprehensive support and guidance to help you manage risks and resolve disputes efficiently.

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Real Estate Litigation - South West

1
Band 1

What the Team is Known For

Burges Salmon's expertise covers commercial landlord and tenant matters along with disputes concerning development agreements, insolvency, land law and property-related professional negligence. It serves an impressive client roster that features public bodies, retailers, energy companies and high net worth individuals. It also handles issues arising from significant redevelopment projects, including listed buildings.

Work Highlights

  • Burges Salmon advised the Crown Estate on the contentious and non-contentious management of its £16 billion portfolio of Rural, Traditional, Windsor and strategic assets.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

James Sutherland
2
James Sutherland
Head of Real Estate Litigation
2
Band 2
James Sutherland is head of the real estate litigation department at Burges Salmon. He offers clients guidance across a broad range of contentious property matters, including breach of covenant disputes and dilapidations claims.

He is accessible, very knowledgeable and commercially aware. He adds value to strategy and you feel confident to make the right decisions when he's on your side.

He is able to explain complex legal issues in a manner that makes not only the point itself easy to understand but also the implications on the wider matter at hand.

James Sutherland is exceptionally experienced and hugely committed. He's highly analytical and he has the ability to respond to and communicate clients' needs very well.

James Sutherland is no-nonsense, commercial and fully committed to his clients. He goes above and beyond. He's always available when you need him and is a master tactician.

Chris Preston
3
Chris Preston
Head of Real Estate Litigation
3
Band 3
Chris Preston regularly advises on property litigation in the retail and transport sectors, with a particular specialism in telecommunications disputes.

He understands our position and can empathise with us and provide tailored advice which is very helpful and pragmatic. It's really easy to pick up the phone to him too.

We asked him for tricky advice, and he was really quick and the advice was clear, to the point and in plain English, getting the job done. He's a safe pair of hands.

He's an exceptionally wise and talented head.

Chris Preston is an astute and capable individual who is personable and a pleasure to work with.

Rebecca Lee
Associates to watch

Rebecca Lee is a senior associate at Burges Salmon. She regularly represents clients in real estate property disputes.

She's very knowledgeable and provides a strong breadth of advice.

Rebecca provides exceptional client service. She provides calm tactical advice as well as fierce defence of our interests. She is a rising star.

Rebecca Lee is very effective, organised and has a very good grasp of the issues to draw lots of threads together.

Ranked Lawyers at
Burges Salmon LLP

Provided by Chambers
Filter by
Band

South West

Real Estate Litigation

James Sutherland
2
James Sutherland
Head of Real Estate Litigation
2
Band 2
Chris Preston
3
Chris Preston
Head of Real Estate Litigation
3
Band 3
Rebecca Lee
Associates to watch

Members

Provided by Burges Salmon LLP

Chris Preston

Chris Preston

Head of Department

James Sutherland

James Sutherland

Head of Department