Michelle Caney

Ranked in 3 Practice Areas

Band 1

Real Estate Litigation

Midlands (Bar)

11 Years Ranked

Band 1

Social Housing

Midlands (Bar)

12 Years Ranked

Band 2

Chancery

Midlands (Bar)

1 Years Ranked

About

Provided by Michelle Caney

UK Bar

Practice Areas

Michelle Caney is an accomplished business and property litigator who can be trusted with cases of the utmost complexity. Her practice encompasses real estate litigation (including boundaries, easements, options, overage, restrictive covenants and trusts of land), commercial and residential landlord and tenant (including business leases, break clauses, dilapidations, forfeiture and service charges) and professional negligence claims involving property and social housing. Michelle is adept at handling matters involving issues of fraud and forged documents. In the social housing arena, Michelle is singled out for her expertise in cases involving disability discrimination, mental capacity, public law and human rights issues.

Career

Year of Call: 2004 (Middle Temple).

St Ives Chambers (2005-2023); Deputy Head of Housing Group (2012-2021); Deputy Head of Business and Property Group (2014-2021); Head of Business and Property Group (2021-2023).

St Philips Chambers (2023-present); Head of Real Estate Team (2023-present).

Recent notable cases: Wolverhampton City Council v London Gypsies and Travellers [2023] UKSC 47 - Landmark Supreme Court appeal concerning the Court’s jurisdiction to grant injunctions against Persons Unknown; Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council v Mailley [2023] EWCA Civ 1246 - Novel incompatibility challenge to the succession legislation (appeal to Supreme Court pending); The University of Birmingham v Persons Unknown [2024] EWHC 544 - High profile claim for possession arising out of Gaza protest encampments; Scalora v Clarion Housing Association Limited [2024] EWHC 1414 - £1.1m unlawful eviction claim involving allegations of cyber fraud - 9 day trial.

Professional Memberships

Midland Chancery and Commercial Bar Association (committee member); Social Housing Law Association Midlands.

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

UK-Bar

Real Estate Litigation - Midlands (Bar)

Band 1

Individual Editorial

Michelle Caney is a leading real estate litigator who can be trusted with cases of the utmost complexity. In addition to her strong social housing practice, she handles a range of commercial property matters and has notable experience in boundary disputes, restrictive covenants and damages. She also possesses experience handling property cases with issues of fraud and discrimination. She is skilled at handling cases that raise human rights issues.

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Social Housing - Midlands (Bar)

Band 1

Individual Editorial

Michelle Caney is singled out for her expertise in cases involving disability, mental capacity and human rights issues. She is instructed in matters ranging from possession and injunction claims to judicial review claims and service charge disputes. She accepts instructions on behalf of landlords and tenants and has appeared in the Court of Appeal as sole counsel.

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Chancery - Midlands (Bar)

Band 2

Individual Editorial

Michelle Caney is an up-and-coming barrister who is currently the head of real estate. Caney is well versed in property matters, including real estate litigation, commercial property, estoppel and tenant disputes, and she has experience acting in landmark appeals.

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Strengths

Provided by Chambers

Michelle is a complete superstar with a brilliant mind and an eye for detail which is unbeaten. She is able to come up with arguments or solutions which many wouldn't even consider.

Real Estate Litigation respondent
UK-Bar

Michelle Caney is always particularly impressive. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of the law, and is very personal, extremely thorough and a very good advocate.

Real Estate Litigation respondent
UK-Bar

Michelle Caney is a very impressive barrister whose attention to detail is outstanding. She is quick to absorb the facts and understand the issues.

Real Estate Litigation respondent
UK-Bar

Michelle is a force to be reckoned with, and her knowledge of the social housing sector is second to none. She is always excellently prepared and goes the extra mile to formulate arguments.

Social Housing respondent
UK-Bar

She's always particularly impressive. Michelle has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law.

Social Housing respondent
UK-Bar

Michelle Caney is the go-to barrister for the most important or technical of cases and for any technical query.

Social Housing respondent
UK-Bar

Michelle Caney is outstanding. She is extremely clever and extremely persuasive.

Chancery respondent
UK-Bar

Michelle is particularly impressive; she has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law, is very personable, a good advocate and extremely thorough.

Chancery respondent
UK-Bar

Put simply, Michelle is of the very highest calibre. She is a class act both in writing and on her feet and she can turn a case on a sixpence.

Chancery respondent
UK-Bar

Michelle is a complete superstar with a brilliant mind and an eye for detail which is unbeaten. She is able to come up with arguments or solutions which many wouldn't even consider.

Real Estate Litigation respondent
UK-Bar

Michelle Caney is always particularly impressive. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of the law, and is very personal, extremely thorough and a very good advocate.

Real Estate Litigation respondent
UK-Bar

Michelle Caney is a very impressive barrister whose attention to detail is outstanding. She is quick to absorb the facts and understand the issues.

Real Estate Litigation respondent
UK-Bar

Michelle is a force to be reckoned with, and her knowledge of the social housing sector is second to none. She is always excellently prepared and goes the extra mile to formulate arguments.

Social Housing respondent
UK-Bar

She's always particularly impressive. Michelle has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law.

Social Housing respondent
UK-Bar

Michelle Caney is the go-to barrister for the most important or technical of cases and for any technical query.

Social Housing respondent
UK-Bar

Michelle Caney is outstanding. She is extremely clever and extremely persuasive.

Chancery respondent
UK-Bar

Michelle is particularly impressive; she has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law, is very personable, a good advocate and extremely thorough.

Chancery respondent
UK-Bar

Put simply, Michelle is of the very highest calibre. She is a class act both in writing and on her feet and she can turn a case on a sixpence.

Chancery respondent
UK-Bar

Filter by

Silks (KC)

London (Bar)

Crime: International Criminal Law

Peter Haynes KC

Spotlight

Michelle Caney

UK Bar Guide 2025

Real Estate Litigation + 2 more rankings

About

Practice Areas

Career

Professional Memberships

Chambers Review

UK-Bar

Real Estate Litigation - Midlands (Bar)

Individual Editorial

Social Housing - Midlands (Bar)

Individual Editorial

Chancery - Midlands (Bar)

Individual Editorial

Strengths

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Silks (KC)

London (Bar)

Midlands (Bar)

Juniors

All Circuits

Midlands (Bar)

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