Based across Bristol and London, the ‘excellent’ property disputes group at Burges Salmon LLP acts for an impressive range of real estate investors and developers, primarily across the hospitality, transportation, and retail industries. The group advises on asset management, dilapidations, and cladding matters, among others. Regarded as a ’master tactician’, James Sutherland anchors the practice and specialises in real estate insolvency disputes, often advising institutional and commercial landlords. Chris Preston acts for operators on telecoms-related issues, while Catherine Banton is a go-to for property disputes at various levels of court. Michael Duncan handles contentious and risk management issues in the property sphere, whereas Penny Shannon is recommended for her know-how on lease interpretation, rent review, and termination issues.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Penny Shannon - just very knowledgeable without ever being patronizing - not an easy balance for a lawyer.’
‘In my experience the advice of the litigation team is a good mixture of the technical and practical. They understand when it is appropriate to apply the pressure of litigation and when to adopt a more pragmatic approach.’
‘James Sutherland and Penny Shannon work well as a team. They are approachable and offer clear, practical advice tailored to the requirements of the audience and based upon a detailed knowledge and understanding.’
‘Michael Duncan provides timely and quality advice, which has greatly assisted in a range of property related matters.'
‘They are really excellent. They appear to have recruited excellent employees at all levels of the team. Their employees stand out for being extremely bright, knowledgeable and highly skilled litigators.'
‘They are experts in their respective fields and well respected in the sector.'
‘They are one of the only property litigation practices with real expertise in Building Safety Act disputes.’
‘James Sutherland is a market leader. A master tactician, he thinks deeply about his clients' issues, their commercial and legal context, and uses his experience to provide the right advice.'
Key clients
- The Crown Estate
- John Lewis & Partners
- St James’s Place Wealth Management Group Limited
- Virgin Management Limited
- Kent County Council
- South West Water / Pennon Group
- Severn Trent Water
- Saudi Arabian Airlines
- Tryst Enterprises
- JTI Group
- Taper Building Residential Leasehold Association (TBLRA)
- FRP Advisory
- E. CRIS (trading as high-end fashion retailer, Pinko)
- Pebble Propco (Industrial) Limited
- Transport for London
- Church Commissioners for England
- St Modwen Properties Limited
Work highlights
- Advised Virgin Management on various contentious issues linked to its head office relocation from Paddington to new premises in Bloomsbury, including lease breaks, dilapidation claims, and development works.
- Advising Transport for London on multiple contentious and risk management matters across its real estate portfolio, including advising on development projects and overage payments.
- Acting on behalf of Taper Building Residential Leasehold Association in respect of a complex multi-party dispute against a pension fund concerning cladding works.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
James Sutherland