The prestigious annual list published by The Times includes the top 250 law firms in England and Wales, out of almost 10,000, as voted for by lawyers.
Bishop & Sewell’s landlord and tenant team is commended for its knowledge, skills and reputation in the complex area of leasehold enfranchisement, including collective enfranchisements and lease extensions, while the firm’s recently established building safety team, which advises building owners, leaseholders and property managers on their rights and responsibilities under the new Building Safety Act 2022 regime, was also singled out for special praise.
A standout case this year was when Bishop & Sewell acted pro bono for the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners, which intervened in the Supreme Court case A1 Properties (Sunderland) Ltd v Tudor Studios RTM Company Ltd. In a landmark judgement, the court dismissed the appeal by A1 Properties and ruled that the failure to serve a claim notice on an intermediate landlord did not invalidate the transfer of the right to take over management of the block. The decision itself re-sets the case law in relation the validity of notices, and has wider implications outside of the field of RTM. The decision itself will offer greater assurance that procedural non-compliance will not lead to harsher sanctions.
Commenting on the firm’s inclusion, Mark Chick, Senior Partner and Head of the firm’s Landlord & Tenant team, said: “To be featured in The Times’ Best Law Firm Special Report is a fantastic endorsement for Bishop & Sewell and we are very grateful for this recognition of our expertise, excellence in client services and reliability.”
“This is the first time that the firm has been included, and is a significant step forward for us as part of our vision. We aim to ensure that our firm is a regular feature in this prestigious peer reviewed list in the years to come.”
