Frances is a senior associate in our Real Estate Dispute Resolution team.Frances qualified as a solicitor in 2002 and acquired her higher rights or audience as a Solicitor Advocate in 2008. Frances is also a member of the Property Litigation Association.
Recognised as a key lawyer in the Legal 500, Frances' expertise spans the full range of real estate disputes, from landlord and tenant issues to complex contractual disputes, professional negligence, insolvency and disputes arising from fraud. Her considerable practice also encompasses specialist business rates disputes and she regularly advises on business rates mitigation schemes.
Whilst predominantly acting for landlord clients, Frances has also acted for a significant number of high-profile tenants in relation to leases of substantial value, including proposed redevelopment, lease expiry and the settlement of liabilities for dilapidations.
As well as high profile litigation, Frances has a very successful track record at mediation and in settling cases for her clients without the cost and uncertainty of trial. She also provides strategic advice to transactional real estate clients on the drafting of agreements to avoid disputes or to place her clients in the best possible position were a dispute to arise.
Frances works extremely closely with the transactional team and their clients throughout many transactions, advising on a diverse and complex range of matters such as the easements necessary for the operation of multi-million pound infrastructure projects, the ability to exercise an option to purchase freehold of land where the grantor had been dissolved and the drafting and operation of Covid-19 rent cesser clauses.
Frances is a regular speaker and writer on a full range of specialist real estate litigation topics, including the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, insolvency and competition in the real estate sector.
Background
Frances qualified as a solicitor in 2002 and acquired her higher rights or audience as a Solicitor Advocate in 2008. Frances is also a member of the Property Litigation Association.
Experience & expertise
Selected matters
- Ludgate House on the high-profile Court of Appeal and Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) business rates litigation in respect of the validity of property guardianship as a mitigation tool
- The Board of Trustees of The Tate Gallery in its continuing high profile dispute concerning private nuisance and human rights brought by several residents of the Neo Bankside development. The matter is currently remitted to the High Court.
