St John's Buildings

Property and Private ClientFamily - Finance

Julian enjoys a broad civil practice with a particular emphasis on Chancery law. He is frequently instructed in property matters, ranging from boundary disputes and cases involving easements to issues involving agricultural holdings and tenancies. Recent cases have included substantial multi-party disputes over rights of way, cases involving serious trespass to land and the assertion and enforcement of prescriptive rights including rights to light.

He has vast experience of trusts matters, encompassing cases arising under the Inheritance Act 1975 and the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 (TOLATA), as well as matters involving resulting and constructive trusts, equitable and restitutionary remedies, applications relating to the construction of wills and issues arising from breaches of trust by trustees. He also acts frequently in wills and probate cases, particularly those involving contentious probate issues or removal of executors.

Julian has recently delivered talks on issues arising under TOLATA and on litigating right to light claims to solicitors.

Julian also regularly undertakes professional negligence cases, with a particular emphasis on solicitors’ negligence and negligent advice by conveyancers, architects and surveyors. Current ongoing cases involve a claim arising from negligent advice by valuation agents, claims relating to negligent management of financial investments and mis-selling of investment products, and a number of cases involving defective structural surveys or architects’ negligence.

With regards to his Family Finance practice, Julian is regularly instructed in high value cases, particularly those involving family business, trusts and issues relating to farms and agriculture. He is a recognised expert in cases involving pensions and issues arising from a party’s bankruptcy, and has presented seminars on these subjects in the past. Julian’s trusts expertise and extensive experience in TOLATA cases means that he is ideally placed to advise in respect of complex matters relating to equitable title to shared homes, and a significant percentage of his practice relates to such matters.

His ‘money’ practice regularly finds him acting in matters where the assets comfortably exceed £1 million in value, and he has extensive experience of cases involving an international element, applications under Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989, litigants seeking to subvert the legal process and cases involving hidden assets.

Julian was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in 1984, and joined St John's Buildings in 1998. He has been a Recorder since 2004.