Barristers

Christopher McNall

Christopher McNall

Work Department

Agriculture, wills and contentious probate, chancery, commercial, mediation.

Position

After undergraduate and graduate legal studies in Oxford and Poland, Christopher taught law at the Universities of Oxford and Cardiff. He came to the Bar in Manchester in 2005, since then he has undertaken a wide range of Chancery and commercial cases. He aims to bring a robust and practical approach to all my clients’ cases, and to make a worthwhile contribution to them. He understands the importance of careful and comprehensive pleadings, and many of my cases are resolved at that early stage. Agriculture: Christopher regularly instructed in agricultural disputes of all kinds, both before the Courts and in arbitrations, including disputes about tenancies, partnerships, land, planning and environmental law. He is also a fellow of the Agricultural Law Association, and gives seminars nationwide on agricultural law. Wills and Contentious Probate: Christopher advises and acts, both for beneficiaries and executors, in claims across the whole range of disputed wills (including fraudulent wills, disputes as to capacity, undue influence, knowledge and approval, and revocation) and claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975. Chancery: Christopher advises and acts in the range of matters which belongs to the Chancery Division of the High Court, and Chancery Business in the County Court, and especially disputes involving rights of way and boundaries, tenancies, mortgages, professional negligence (especially solicitors), fraud, and breach of fiduciary duties. He has an interest in intellectual property, and has recently acted in claims and applications for urgent injunctive relief involving domain-name and trademark infringement, and passing-off. Commercial: he advises and acts in commercial disputes such as debt claims, and claims concerning defective goods, performance, or workmanship. Recent cases of this kind have involved groundworks at an onshore gas terminal, and windows in a series of shopping centres. Christopher contributed the chapter on ‘Insolvency’ to the recent book ‘The Impact of the Human Rights Act on Private Law’ (Cambridge, 2011). Mediation: Christopher accepts instructions to act as a mediator. He is an accredited mediator (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution) and an associate member of the Association of Northern Mediators. He also has considerable experience of representing clients in mediations.

Career

Called 2005; Middle Temple.

Languages

Polish (conversational), Hungarian (basic).

Memberships

Administrative Law Bar Association; Agricultural Law Association (Fellow); Association of Northern Mediators (associate); Chancery Bar Association; Society of Legal Scholars (associate member); Northern Circuit of the Bar; Northern Circuit Commercial Bar Association.

Education

Hawarden High School, Flintshire; University of Oxford (BA MA DPhil); Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland; University of the West of England, Bristol (Bar Vocational Course). Scholarships and Prizes: Middle Temple (Scholar); Magdalen College Oxford (Scholar); Jagiellonian University Krakow (Scholar); Agricultural Law Association ‘Chairman’s Trophy’ 2009; Junior Counsel to the Crown (Provincial Panel) 2010 – date.

Mentions