Languages
- English
Social media
Nick is Co-Head of the CMS' Real Estate Dipsutes Team; and a Partner with over 20 years' experience as a real estate litigator, dealing with landlord and tenant disputes and the entire remit of contentious property matters. Nick has acted for a wide range of clients, including hotel owners and operators, REITs, property investment funds, receivers, public agencies, retail landlords and tenants, universities and property owners and developers.
In particular, Nick has acted for Covivio Hotels, Hilton, Leonardo Hotels, Great Portland Estates plc, Land Securities, Hammerson, Capital & Counties, SEGRO, Columbia Threadneedle Property Investments, Glasgow City Council and Hermes.
Nick is the global relationship partner for one of the World's most recognised hotel brands.
Recently, Nick has been involved in a $600m dispute over a portfolio of UK hotels (dealing with disrepair, performance breach issues and conspiracy) and involving litigation in the UK and the US. Nick has also acted on another UK portfolio of hotels on a performance related breach issue, with a value of £100m+.
Nick has also sat as a legal assessor to RICS appointed experts acting in valuation and land-based disputes. Nick regularly lectures on property litigation topics (recently speaking at the 2025 RICS Arbrix Annual Conference) and is a member of both the Property Litigation Association and RICS Dilapidations Forum.
Nick has advised, resolved and litigated on a variety of property-related disputes including opposed and unopposed business lease renewals, claims for forfeiture for tenant breach of covenant, break notices and their validity, interim and terminal dilapidations, tenant related insolvency and applications for leave of the court to forfeit (in the context of various insolvency regimes), possession claims, rectification disputes, advising on ability to withhold consent to alienate, rent review and service charge disputes, right of way and boundary disputes, derogation from grant and breach of quiet enjoyment covenant claims, various contractual disputes arising from property transactions and advising generally on tenant default and landlord enforcement options.
In particular, Nick has experience in acting on major redevelopment projects and in providing strategic land and site assembly advice to developers (and other key stakeholders). Nick has acted on many landmark schemes throughout the country including central London schemes as well as developments from Southampton to Newcastle. Frequently, these projects also involve planning related issues, including compulsory purchase and judicial review.
