Five Paper

Michael is an experienced barrister and part-time judge specialising in property and public law. He accepts instructions across all areas of property law and also maintains a regulatory & public law practice, with a particular focus on public sector decision making relating to housing.

Michael was appointed to as a part-time judge of the First Tier Tribunal, Property Chamber in January 2019.

Before joining Chambers, Michael was in employed practice for a number of high-profile public-sector bodies including: 3 prominent London Boroughs, a large Housing Association, Transport for London, the Greater London Authority and the Mayor’s Office.

Social Housing: Michael is head of the social housing practice group in chambers and is instructed in all areas of housing including: complex possession claims, disrepair, leasehold disputes, licensing appeals, anti-social behaviour, and disputes over tenancy deposit schemes. He regularly appears in the County Court and the High Court for landlords and tenants from the public and private sectors. He is also regularly instructed to prosecute and defend housing regulatory prosecutions in the criminal courts, including prosecutions under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and offences under the Housing Act 2004.

Property Litigation: Michael has substantial experience of real property and landlord and tenant litigation. He is frequently instructed to provide advice to solicitors and via direct access regarding: rights of way, boundary disputes and party wall matters.

He is also experienced in providing advice and representation to private individuals, Housing Associations, Local Authorities and management companies in relation to forfeiture, service charge disputes, leasehold enfranchisement, and leasehold extension.

Public Law: Michael has wide ranging general public law experience with a particular speciality in advising on the lawfulness of decisions made by public sector bodies in a housing context (including Local Authority cabinet decisions and Mayoral decisions).

Michael is regularly instructed in s204 appeals and has acted in a range of appeals in relation to intentional homelessness, suitability of accommodation, vulnerability and eligibility. He also provides training on the full range of Homelessness issues including the impact of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.

Whilst in employed practice Michael had conduct of homelessness matters in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

Michael has also advised on extensively on public sector housing policy, grant-funding and licensing initiatives and is regularly instructed to appear at the Administrative court on related judicial review proceedings.

Reported cases include:

Nikolaeva v London Borough of Redbridge[2020] EWCA Civ 1586

R (on the Application of Notting Hill Genesis) v The Camberwell Green Magistrates Court [2019] 5 WLUK 124

Panayiotou v London Borough of Waltham Forest[2017] EWCA Civ 1624

Called: 2010