Eversheds Sutherland

James leads our dynamic Real Estate Litigation teams in Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle and has experience of all contentious matters involving property. Most recently, acting for the landlord of Halliwells LLP's former premises in Manchester and JD Sports Fashion Plc on the acquisition of the former "Blacks" retail stores.

James acts regularly for a large number of blue chip occupiers such as Booker and developers and leads high value professional negligence claims relating to complex transactions and deals regularly with insolvency issues.

Internationally, James leads the relationship with the Faurecia, Wockhardt and Lonza Group of companies and his team work for Tyco and Tradegro.

Day-to-day, James provides detailed pro-active advice in relation to property management for both substantial landlords and occupiers helping both drive down the costs of portfolio management. James has extensive experience in all range of Landlord and Tenant disputes, including injunctions, rights of way and in particular, rights of light, rent reviews and rating disputes.

James' most recent reported cases include Progress Property Company Limited -v- Moorgarth Group Limited [2010] UKSC55, Tradegro (UK) Ltd -v- Wigmore Street Investments Ltd (1) Charles Price (2) Olswang LLP (3) [2010] EWHC 1693 Chilli Developments Limited -v- (1) The Commissions for Newtowns (2) Tees Valley Regeneration Limited [2008] EWHC 1310 (QB). James awaits judgment now on others.

Apart from cases, James has a track record of getting substantial and valuable property deals done going back to the disposal of the entire Littlewoods portfolio right through to confidential deals being reported now.

James has extensive public sector experience, including acting in relation to contentious judicial review proceedings and he has acted for the Homes and Communities Agency North West Development Agency, Defra and other public sector organisations in contentious redevelopment issues throughout England and Wales.

James' team regularly lead seminars and bespoke training sessions for clients and other property advisers and anyone involved in the real estate industry and pride themselves on the cost-effective and fast commercial resolution of disputes. 

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