Withers Graduate Careers

Property litigation

The work of the Property Litigation team

The team provides specific and detailed advice to clients to assist them in dealing with a wide range of residential, commercial, and rural property disputes. The types of property problems that our clients can encounter are many and varied. They fall within three main categories and include disputes that arise between landlords and tenants, owners of land, and purchasers of land. The advice that we give is very much of a practical nature, with emphasis on seeking to resolve disputes early on. Where negotiations fail, the matter can be pursued in a number of public forums, for example the County Court, the High Court, the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal (LVT), and alternatively in private by mediation, adjudication or arbitration. Client referrals come from both internal and external sources. Since the group is not restricted to any one area of property dispute resolution work, it means that during the course of the property litigation seat you will encounter a wide range of clients, from individuals to charities and companies.

Eleanor Anderton

Eleanor Anderton

University attending/attended: Bristol

PgDL/LPC institution: BPP

Seats experienced: Property Litigation, Commercial Litigation and Hong Kong.

My experience within the Property Litigation team

Property litigation provides trainees with a varied experience. The clients include international luxury brands, charities and high profile individuals, who each require assistance on a broad range of disputes. Matters that I worked on as a trainee included complex business lease renewals, a high-profile planning application, private bank mortgagee possession proceedings and adverse possession claims. One of the most enjoyable aspects of property litigation is its mixture of black-letter law, procedure and common sense. Tasks include attending court, drafting letters, drafting attendance notes of conferences, undertaking research, and preparing court documents. The team is relatively small   and works closely together. Trainees are given a high level of responsibility and more often than not direct client  contact. Where an appropriate matter arises, they are also given the opportunity to ‘run' a case themselves. The nature of the work also means that trainees are often in contact with fee earners from across the Firm.