Ben qualified in April 2011 and is a Partner in our Property Litigation team.

Ben is a member of the Property Litigation Association and his extensive experience in this area sees him deal with a range of complex contentious property matters.

His commercial approach and ability to distil complex areas of law are valued by his clients and Ben’s specialisms include:

• Dealing with subterranean reservations/rights and trespass.
• Resolving mining royalty disputes.
• Advising on the enforcement of mining leases.
• Providing strategic advice to enable or restrict property development (including access and ransom disputes)
• Handling commercial tenancy work – dealing with both opposed and unopposed 1954 Act renewals, break notices, and dilapidation claims.
• Delivering advice on restrictive covenants, overage, and easements – including rights of way; and
• Assisting with property related professional negligence claims against other solicitors and professionals.

Ben has a particular interest in development work, frequently working closely with the firm’s mining and development clients.

Examples of Ben’s recent work includes:

• Dealing with the modification of a restrictive covenant to enable a multi-million pound development to proceed.
• Resolving a significant royalty dispute for a mining client.
• Assisting a developer client to negotiate a favourable outcome in respect of a ‘ransom strip’.
• Developing and implementing a strategy designed to bypass the provisions in a pre-emption and overage agreement to enable development of a key marine site.
• Dealing with contested property portfolio work (s25 Notices, s26 Requests, s146 notices etc) for a large privately owned portfolio worth in excess of £400m.
• Bringing a professional negligence claim against a firm of solicitors for failing to properly advise on the risk of a subterranean ransom on a development site.

Having trained with the firm, Ben now takes the time to give back as part of the Trainee Development Team and is the Deputy Training Principal. He is responsible for overseeing the recruitment and development of trainees and apprentices joining the firm.

Increasingly, organisations and business leaders are no longer measuring success solely from the annual accounts, but whether they have a defined positive purpose, whether that purpose is being met and what the organisation’s impact is. As one of our B Corp™ Champions, Ben is knowledgeable and passionate about helping you build your own purpose and positive impact – at whatever stage of this you are at.

Ben’s Personal Testimonials:

“Ben is a superb litigation solicitor”

Counsel, at Gatehouse Chambers

When not at work, Ben enjoys spending time with his young family, playing ‘vets’ football, tennis, and squash.