Bindmans LLP

Paul Ridge

Partner in the Public Law team and Head of Housing and Property. As well as individuals Paul regularly advises charities and organisations in regulatory matters and disputes. He represents individuals, campaign and action groups, charities, schools and religious organisations. His aim is often to deal with issues swiftly, economically and without litigation. He has experience of mediation and ADR, but where needed Paul litigates. He has a string of cases through the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. Paul regularly acts for family members and the Official Solicitor in the County Court, High Court and Court of Protection. He is currently acting for a large number of residents and survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

Christian Hansen

Solicitor, Housing and Public Law Christian frequently acts for groups of tenants and leaseholders in claims against landlords and freeholders, as well as acting for homeless applicants, and social services users in claims against local authorities. He often acts for vulnerable clients, including those without capacity to litigate. He is frequently instructed by the Official Solicitor. The current focus of much of Christian’s work is enforcing fire safety measures in residential buildings. Since 2019 and continuing through 2020, Christian has been helping several large residents’ groups bring fire safety claims against the freeholders and developers of their buildings, requiring the replacement of unsafe cladding, insulation, and cavity barriers, and claiming significant payments of damages. Christian continues to advise and represent clients across all residential landlord and tenant matters, including possession, eviction, disrepair, harassment, and all tenancy related disputes. He is highly experienced in acting for clients at all court levels. In both 2017 and 2018 he represented clients in the Supreme Court. He is an experienced advocate and has been a duty solicitor on county court housing possession lists for many years.