Pump Court Chambers

Specialist practitioner in property law. Some recent significant cases: Lankester & Son Ltd v Rennie [2014] EWCA Civ 1515: This case concerned a valuable commercial lease. Acted for Lankester & Son Ltd at first instance and a Court of Appeal. Successfully established in both courts that the tenant could not escape liability under the lease even though he had transferred the premises to another occupant. Innerspaces Self Storage Ltd v Harding & others [2014] EWCA Civ 46: Represented Harding and others at first instance and at Court of Appeal. Successfully established in both courts that the client landlord was not liable to his tenant, on any basis, for depositing a large quantity of hardcore on the business park on which the tenant’s property was located. Wise v Jimenez [2014] WTLR 163 Ch D: This was a high-profile and bitterly contested case. It involved difficult issues of fact and law and required meticulous case management at a lengthy trial. Stephen successfully recovered equitable compensation of £500,000 for his client, Mr Wise – a well-known former professional footballer. Application of Stafford-Flowers [2014] UKUT 0082 (LC): The applicant applied to the Upper Tribunal to discharge a covenant which prevented him from living all year round in a holiday chalet on the Isle of Wight. In a difficult and hard-fought case, Stephen successfully resisted the application on behalf of the objectors.

Called 1978, Inner Temple. Publications of note: editor of Landlord & Tenant section of The Civil Court Practice (the ‘Green Book’) (Butterworths LexisNexis).

Property Bar Association.

Monmouth School; New College, Oxford (1977 BA; 1984 MA).

Golf.