“Lucy was amazing .. strong, informed, confident”

Biography

Lucy has a growing practice in civil and regulatory litigation, particularly property litigation. She is exceptionally bright, well organised and brings a cool, calm head to difficult and challenging cases. Lucy is often instructed to undertake drafting and advisory work which is detailed and accurate, and she is a determined and focussed advocate.

Lucy acts for Claimants and Defendants in property cases. She handles a wide range of property work including claims under TOLATA for declaration of a beneficial interest in property.

Lucy is an experienced prosecutor and can deal with regulatory issues particularly where these require advocacy in the Magistrates Court. She regularly acts as a legal adviser to local authority licensing boards. Lucy has a rational, straightforward approach and is always calm under pressure. Lucy also represents clients in personal injury and credit hire claims.

She has very good written and oral communication skills. Before coming to the Bar, Lucy worked as a Legal Editor summarising novel developments for offshore commercial and trusts cases. She is adept at explaining complicated legal and factual matters in a clear and concise manner. 

Lucy is committed to widening access to a career at the self-employed Bar and leads Chambers' initiatives with the Sutton Trust and Bridging the Bar. She is a member of Chambers Equality and Diversity Committee and the Management Committee.

Property

Lucy has a growing practice across most areas of property litigation including real property, commercial and residential landlord and tenant, environmental issues, and possession claims. She advises regularly on property disputes both anticipated and ongoing.

She acts in TOLATA claims for declaration of beneficial interests in property, and is good at managing both the technical legal arguments and the emotional effects that such cases might have. She has recently succeeded in a claim by a mother that she be declared the real legal and beneficial owner of a property which had been transferred to her son, a case which was complex legally but also where both parties were highly emotional and had to be carefully managed when giving evidence. 

Lucy accepts instructions in contentious and non-contentious trusts and probate matters.

Regulatory

Lucy has experience of criminal law, prosecuting and defending criminal cases and has appeared in both the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts. This experience means that she is a good choice for cases where civil litigation overlaps with the criminal jurisdiction, particularly regulatory work.

Lucy regularly deals with a range of property regulatory work, including HMOs, and welcomes instructions in this area. She is direct access qualified and therefore able to represent landlords without the need for a solicitor

Lucy also deals with school exclusion appeals, and with licensing hearings appearing on behalf of local authorities. She has represented TfL in relation to appeals against the removal of taxi licences, and in licensing hearings representing local authorities dealing with applications for entertainment and alcohol licences.

Business and commercial

Lucy has significant experience advising on the construction of commercial contracts. She is very good at providing detailed evidence on the way in which contracts are likely to be interpreted as well as commercial advice on the prospects of success in litigation. 

She accepts instructions on a wide variety of matters of company and commercial law, including partnership disputes, shareholder disputes, restoration and issues with bona vacantia.

Publications

10 Things to Know about Part 36: One of the trickiest and most heavily litigated parts of the CPR - read Lucy's top tips on dealing with Part 36.

Samira Ahmed v BBC: Lucy’s comments on the groundbreaking equal pay case brought against the BBC

Instruct

To instruct Lucy please contact Rob Johnstone.

Education

  • B.A. Merton College, University of Oxford

Memberships

  • Personal Injury Bar Association
  • Employment Lawyers Association
  • Human Rights Lawyers Association
  • Criminal Bar Association

Notable Cases

K v. P: 3 day TOLATA hearing in which Lucy successfully argued that her client should be declared the sole legal and beneficial owner of a property which had been transferred to her son.

M v. P: 2 day adverse possession trial in the FTT involving allegations of fraud and forgery.

M v. J: Lucy recovered credit hire charges in full after successfully rebutting the defendant insurer’s intervention letter.

C v. S: Lucy successfully applied for default judgment to be set aside and reallocation to the fast track.

M v. M: Lucy is currently instructed for tenants in a dispute concerning the correct interpretation of the user clause in a commercial lease. The trial will involve evidence from four lay and two competing expert witnesses.

R. v. H: in a trial for breach of a section 14 notice, Lucy made a successful submission that her client, an environmental protestor, faced no case to answer.

O v. Q: Lucy provided advice on merits and quantum, and drafted particulars of claim, for the Claimant in a personal injury claim valued at a minimum of £70,000.

D v. G: Lucy achieved a finding on liability in her client’s favour following her cross-examination of the Defendant in a fast track RTA trial.

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