David Hall - Partner & Partnership Secretary

Areas of Specialism

Property litigation, commercial leases and land disputes. Professional negligence in relation to property advice. Licensing for pubs, off-licences, clubs and restaurants.

Advises on all areas of property disputes including commercial and residential possession proceedings, opposed lease renewals under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, tenant default and insolvency, dilapidations, rent reviews and breach of covenant on the part of the landlord or tenant.

Other disputes involving land, such as boundary disputes, party wall disputes, rights of way and other easements, adverse possession, squatters in commercial, agricultural or residential property. Claims have been resolved for clients who have received negligent advice from other property professionals, be they solicitors, surveyors or architects. These include poor legal advice at the time of house purchase, a negligent house survey report and an architect's failure to supervise building work on a house extension. [See Case Studies in Professional Negligence Property.]

The leisure and drinks industry is of particular interest with instructions received for conversion and variation of licences to new premises licences and personal licences under the Licensing Act 2003. David has appeared for a number of different licensees in contested hearings before Local Authority Licensing Committees and writes articles on topical issues.

Career

Qualified as a solicitor in 1981. Partnership with Furley Page in 1984. Property Dispute Resolution covering commercial landlord and tenant disputes affecting leases and tenancy agreements and all aspects affecting a person’s or company’s ownership or interest in land.

David Hall represents clients in the local County Courts and at the High Court in London and elsewhere. He also appears in Magistrates Courts in relation to liquor licensing for publicans and other licensees.

Clients tend to be commercial landlords and property companies but instructions are frequently received from tenants of unscrupulous landlords seeking to take advantage of their tenants. Many clients are farmers or related to the agricultural sector.

Memberships

Serving member of the Board of Management of the Order of St John (St John Ambulance).
Trustee of Riding for the Disabled (Cobbes Meadow Group).