Expertise
Katie is an experienced property litigator, who provides strategic legal advice to resolve complex legal problems that concern real estate. Katie has extensive experience of landlord and tenant matters, such as debt recovery, contested and uncontested lease renewals, service charge disputes and dilapidations claims and other general property management matters, including nuisance claims and urgent possession actions. Katie advises clients in connection with property developments, dealing with rights to light claims, vacant possession strategies and other constraints to development. Katie is a Building Safety Act 2022 specialist, assisting clients with new property management duties arising from the Act, as well as dealing with enforcement actions. Katie handles high value, complex litigation for clients. In addition to Court litigation, Katie has acted for clients in mediation, expert determinations and arbitration.
- Experience
- Acting for an institutional landlord in a Technology and Construction Court claim worth over £8 million against a contractor, in respect of fire safety defects discovered in the external walls of a large mixed-use development in London.
- Assisting building owners with applications for government funding to remediate fire safety defects, including applications to the Cladding Safety Scheme and Building Safety Fund.
- Defending an institutional landlord and securing the withdrawal of an Improvement Notice served under the Housing Act 2004 in respect of two residential towers, above a town centre shopping centre.
- Acting for an institutional landlord in a complex Technology and Construction Court claim, concerning structural defects in a floor slab and issues with underlying geology and ground improvement techniques.
- Securing vacant possession of high value London properties against organised groups of squatters.
- Advising a pension fund in connection with a redevelopment project on Oxford Street in Central London, dealing with title issues, consents, rights to light and devising a vacant possession strategy involving the implementation of the redevelopment ground (ground (f)) for opposing the grant of a renewal lease under section 30(1) of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954.
- Testimonials
"bright, experienced and fights her corner" (Legal 500, 2024)
"adept at handling high value litigation" (Legal 500, 2019)
"very good technical knowledge" and "iron fist in a velvet glove" (Legal 500, 2018)
"bright and conscientious" (Legal 500, 2015)
- Professional Memberships
- Women in Property
- Property Litigation Association
- Education
- University of Newcastle upon Tyne, LLB Law 2004