3PB

Public and Regulatory; Property and Estates; Commercial; Mediation; Police law.

Overview

William Hansen specialises in public law, property law and commercial litigation.

He is authorized to sit as a High Court Judge in the Chancery Division and also sits as a Recorder, Deputy Upper Tribunal Judge (Administrative Appeals Chamber), a Deputy Chancery Master and a Judge of the First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) for both land registration and residential property cases.

He is a member of the Attorney-General’s ‘A’ Panel of Counsel to the Crown in civil matters and regularly acts for a variety of government departments and agencies including the Secretary of State for the Home Department, HMRC, MoJ, the NCA and the Secretary of State for Business.

He is a specialist in public law and judicial review and regularly appears in the Administrative Court acting for the Crown, particularly in the field of immigration, where he has a particular interest in citizenship and nationality, Article 8 ECHR, criminal deportation, asylum, human trafficking and unlawful detention.

His expertise extends to any case involving a challenge to the legality of a decision taken by a public body and he has particular expertise in all aspects of human rights.

His practice also encompasses all areas of real estate litigation including adverse possession, boundaries, conveyancing, co- ownership, easements, land registration, landlord and tenant, mortgages, options, restrictive covenants and trusts of land.

His commercial practice has a distinct chancery bias to it and includes company litigation (directors’ duties, shareholder disputes, and directors’ disqualification), partnership, insolvency and fraud.

William also sits as a Legally Qualified Chair for Police misconduct hearings and has wide experience of disciplinary proceedings against professionals. In addition to his police misconduct work, William has also appeared before the SDT, NMC and RICS.

William Hansen is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. Please contact William for a copy of his privacy policy which sets out the basis upon which any personal data he may collect about you, or that is provided to him, will be processed by him. He will provide a copy of this policy to you within two working days of its request.

Public and Regulatory

William Hansen is a member of the Attorney-General’s ‘A’ Panel of Counsel to the Crown in civil matters and acts for a variety of government agencies, including the Secretary of State for the Home Department, the MoJ, the Department of Health, the Secretary of State for Business and HMRC.

As such he is a specialist in public law and judicial review and regularly appears in the Administrative Court acting for the Crown, particularly in the field of immigration, where he has a particular interest in citizenship and nationality, Article 8 ECHR, criminal deportation, asylum, human trafficking and unlawful detention.

His expertise extends to any case involving a challenge to the legality of a decision taken by a public body and he has particular expertise in all aspects of human rights.

William has wide experience of disciplinary proceedings against professionals and has appeared before the SDT, NMC and RICS.

William also sits as a Legally Qualified Chair for Police misconduct hearings and as a fee-paid Judge of the First Tier Tribunal.

Recent cases

R (on the application of O (A Child)) v SSHD, Supreme Court, [2022] 2 WLR 343 Statutory interpretation.

MY (Pakistan) v SSHD [2022] 1 WLR 238 What constitutes refusal of a human rights claim.

OA (Somalia) (CG) [2022] UKUT 00033 Country guidance case on Somalia.

R (oao Topadar) v. SSHD [2021] 1 WLR 2307 Leave to remain, variation application, s.3C leave, human rights claims.

R (oao Alam) v. SSHD [2021] Imm AR 516 Notice of curtailment decision, presumptions, deeming provisions.

R (oao Carlos) v SSHD [2021] EWHC 986 (Admin) Credibility and fresh claim, Article 3 and suicide risk.

R (on the application of Williams) v. SSHD [2017] EWCA Civ 98 Ultra vires and Article 8 and Article 14 ECHR.

Property and Estates

William Hansen sits as a High Court Judge in the Chancery Division and is also a Deputy Chancery Master and therefore has broad expertise in all areas of Chancery practice. His property practice encompasses all areas of real estate litigation including adverse possession, boundaries, conveyancing, co-ownership, easements, land registration, mortgages, options, restrictive covenants, property damage claims and trusts of land.

William also provides expertise in all aspects of the law of landlord and tenant, including business tenancy renewals, dilapidations, forfeiture, leasehold covenants and service charge disputes.

He is a Judge of the First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) for both land registration and residential property cases.

William’s expertise in property law extends to cases where property rights and principles of insolvency meet, and he has also been instructed in a number of cases involving disputes about sporting and fishing rights.

William acts for a wide range of clients and welcomes direct professional access work. He is also a trained mediator who can offer his services to those looking to mediate property disputes.

He is also a member of the Attorney-General’s A Panel of Counsel to the Crown in civil matters and regularly acts for a variety of government agencies.

Cases

Artist Court Collective Ltd v. Khan, [2016] EWHC 2453 (Ch), [2017] Ch 53 Part 1 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 and rights of first refusal.

Bean v Saxton [2016] UKUT 168 (TCC) Determined boundaries.

Top Brands Ltd v. Sharma [2015] EWCA Civ 1140 Illegality.

Orme v Lyons [2012] EWHC 3308 (Ch) Approach of appellate court to inferences drawn by Adjudicator.

Wilkinson v. Farmer (CA), [2010] NPC 105 Proper approach to construction of 1898 deed.

Heslop v Bishton [2009] EWHC 607 (Ch), [2009] 2 EGLR 11 Diversion of easements.

Virdi v Chana [2008] EWHC 2901 (Ch) Easements of parking.

Wallbank v Price [2007] EWHC 3001 (Ch), [2008] 2 FLR 501 Undue influence and duress.

Sims v. Mahon [2005] 3 EGLR 67 Term implied into covenant against building without prior approval of plans.

Mountney v. Treharne (CA) [2003] Ch 135 Equitable maxims and proprietary rights in the context of insolvency proceedings.

Eyre v. McCracken (CA) (2001) 33 HLR 16 Liability under repairing covenant to repair inherent defect.

Commercial

William Hansen's commercial practice covers the following areas with a distinct Chancery bias to it: Company litigation: directors duties, breach of fiduciary duty, shareholder disputes, unfair prejudice petitions, rectification proceedings and directors' disqualification.

Partnership

William has advised and acted in a wide variety of partnership disputes involving accountants, solicitors, vets, farmers, doctors and restaurateurs. He has advised on the full panoply of disputes that can arise including dissolutions and winding-up, partitions and buy-outs and detailed accounts and inquiries.

Fraud, Misrepresentation and Breach of Trust

William has wide experience of all aspects of civil fraud, including fraudulent misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty and dishonest assistance. Recent cases include fraudulent misrepresentation by a vendor in the context of a sale of land and allegations of breach of fiduciary duty involving the diversion of a corporate opportunity by a senior manager alleged to be a fiduciary.

Commercial Arbitration and Mediation

William is a qualified mediator and also has wide experience of both international and domestic arbitration. His diverse case-load has included an international commercial arbitration against the UN involving UNIDROIT principles and a domestic arbitration involving a dispute about the proper interpretation of a reservation of sporting rights.

Recent cases

Top Brands Ltd v. Sharma [2015] EWCA Civ 1140 Illegality.

Top Brands v. Sharma [2014] EWCA Civ 761 Standing of former liquidator to challenge creditor’s proof of debt.

Balevents Ltd v Sartori [2012] EWCA Civ 1508 Breach of fiduciary duty, waiver of breach, fresh evidence.

Metro Nominees Ltd v. Rayment [2008] BCC 40 Permission to commence forfeiture proceedings against company in administration.

LCP Retail Ltd v. Segal [2007] BCC 584 Abandonment of distress.

Mediation

William Hansen is a qualified mediator and also has wide experience of both international and domestic arbitration. His diverse case- load has included an international commercial arbitration against the UN involving UNIDROIT principles and a domestic arbitration involving a dispute about the proper interpretation of a reservation of sporting rights.

Police law

William Hansen has sat as an Legally Qualified Chair (LQC) on police misconduct hearings for a number of years and so has very extensive knowledge and experience of all aspects of police misconduct.

He is happy to accept instructions to act for the Appropriate Authority and is equally happy to accept instructions from officers who work for police authorities that do not retain him as an LQC.

He also has very broad and deep experience of judicial review as a member of the Attorney General's A list of Panel Counsel.

Year of call 1992, Lincoln’s Inn.

Member of the Administrative Law Bar Association Member of the Chancery Bar Association Member of the Property Bar Association

B.Sc (Econ), First Class, LSE M.Phil (Cantab.) MBA (London Business School) with Distinction