Property (litigation)

Horsford v Horsford [2020] EWHC 584 (ch): proprietary estoppel claim relating to a family farm.

Leigh Ravenscroft v Canal & River Trust [2017] EWHC 1874: the principal issue was as to the meaning of ‘main navigable channel’ for the purposes of the British Waterways Acts and the consequent management of the inland waterways by the Canal & River Trust.

Port of London Authority v Mendoza [2017] UKUT 146 (TCC): established that the ‘mere’ mooring of a vessel, without more, was insufficient to establish adverse possession of the river bed.

Jones v Canal & River Trust [2018] Q.B. 305: consideration of the correct approach to article 8 claims by the courts when boaters raise an article 8 defence to a claim for removal of a vessel from the waterway.

Stapleford Frog Island (Rainham) Limited v Port of London Authority [2017] UKUT 444 (TCC): proper construction of a lease and whether that prevented a claim for adverse possession. 

Phillips v Francis [2015] 1 WLR 741: decision by Court of Appeal as to the correct approach to the consultation requirements contained within the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985 and accompanying Regulations in respect of the recovery of service charges for qualifying works. Also important issues relating to the interpretation of a management charge clause.

M P Kemp Limited v Bullen Developments Limited [2014] EWHC 2009 (Ch): issues over the construction of an option agreement and an expert determination clause and whether the  expert determination should be restrained pending a High Court determination of the construction issues.

R Square Properties Limited v Nissan Motors (GB) Limited - [2014] EWHC 1218 (Ch): Upholding the trial Judge's determination that exclusive parking rights were properly classified as easements.

Cooke & Cooke v Venulum Property Investments [2013] EWHC 4288: Obtaining determination that the Court did not have jurisdiction to grant a freezing order effectively as security for costs and obtaining the discharge of the injunction with indemnity costs.

Moore v British Waterways Board [2013] 3 W.L.R. 43: (Court of Appeal) riparian rights – established that a riparian owner could not moor a vessel alongside their land simply by virtue of riparian ownership; construction and application of the British Waterways Acts.

Port of London Authority v Muggoch & Others: Preliminary issue in Land Adjudication proceedings on whether the Port of London Authority could establish paper title to part of the River Thames.

Thornhill v Nationwide Metal Recycling Limited [2011] EWCA 919: resisting claim for injunction arising from alleged noise nuisance caused by a working scrap yard.

BOH Limited & Another v Eastern Power Networks (formerly EDF Energy Networks (EPN) plc) [2011] 2 EGLR 105 (Court of Appeal): issues relating to the continuation of a tenancy in circumstances of a split reversion including merger and whether service of a s.25 notice as to part was valid.

Greatorex v Newman [2009] 1 P & CR DG13 (Court of Appeal): What inferences could properly be drawn by the trial judge when seeking to construe an express easement from a time when there was little evidence relating to actual user.

Geronimo Limited (1) British Waterways Board (2) v Brentford Yacht & Boat Company Limited [2008] EWHC 3140 (Chancery Division): dispute relating to the ownership of part of the canal bank of the Grand Union Canal involving consideration of historic documentation and issues of adverse possession.

Scottish & Newcastle plc v Raguz [2008] 1 W.L.R. 2494 (House of Lords): whether valid notice served pursuant to section 17 of the Landlord & Tenant (Covenants) Act 1995 and whether the original tenant’s financial support for the occupying tenant disentitled it from relying on the covenant of indemnity implied by section 24 of the Land Registration Act 1925.

Kilmartin SCI (Hulton House) v Safeway Stores [2006] 1 EGLR 59 (Chancery Division): Construction of the RICS Code of Measuring Practice in the context of an application for specific performance of an agreement for lease.

Hawksbrook Leisure Ltd v Reece-Jones Partnership [2004] 2 EGLR 61 (Chancery Division): Whether a non-profit making company limited by guarantee was carrying on a business for the purposes of the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954.

Pound v Ashford Borough Council [2004] 1 P & CR 2 (Chancery Division): whether an omission to register the fact a building was listed as a local land charge entitled the Claimant to seek compensation pursuant to section 10 of the Local Land Charges Act 1975 when planning permission was granted for neighbouring land which may not have been granted had the listed building status been known.

Barclays Bank plc v Savile Estates Ltd  [2002] L & TR 17 (Chancery Division): rent review: whether a tenant could make time of the essence when the lease had no provision requiring the landlord to refer the matter to an expert.

Ipswich Borough Council v Duke & Moore [2001] EWCA Civ 2173 (Court of Appeal); Riparian rights, including rights of mooring. Interpretation of statutes to determine whether Ipswich Borough Council could charge for mooring.

Property (advice)

Chris also has considerable experience on advising on a wide range of property matters covering all aspects of real property and landlord & tenant. Chris' clients are broad ranging including individuals, developers and public authorities.

Property (other)

Chris is co-authoring (with Andrew Francis and Tom Weekes K.C) the 4th edition of ‘Rights of Light – The Modern Law’ (Lexis Nexis). This is due for publication in 2024.

Sports Work (Litigation)

England and Wales Cricket Board Limited v Michael Vaughan (2023): successfully represented Michael Vaughan in his defence of a charge of breaching ECB directive 3.3 by allegedly using racist and/or discriminatory language prior to a game which took place nearly 13 years prior to the charge. The hearing before a disciplinary panel of The Cricket Discipline Commission attracted widespread publicity, including a live feed on the BBC.

Selected press quotes: “It helped Vaughan’s case that one of the key witnesses … gave every impression of preferring to have faced the great West Indies bowling attacks of the 70s and 80s rather than Vaughan’s counsel, Christopher Stoner KC.” (The Guardian)

‘A furiously competent KC’ (The Guardian)

‘An old school silk of stout bearing and stentorian tones’; ‘Stoner did not so much blow a hole in it as a crater’ (Daily Telegraph)

‘A measured but meticulous litigator’ (The Times)

CAS 2015/A/4189: Acted for British Swimming, Adam Peaty, Francesca Halsall, Jemma Lowe and Chris Walker-Hebborn against World Governing Body FINA and successfully obtained ratification of world records which FINA had previously refused to ratify because of administrative errors.

As a member of the FA’s Judicial Panel determining numerous matters: (whilst many matters remain confidential, the following cases are examples which are publicly accessible on the FA’s website) – The FA v Leeds United; Sheffield Wednesday; Adrian Ward; Blackpool; Joseph Barton; Wolverhampton Wanderers and Frank Lampard.

Acting on various CAS matters, including the drafting of Appeal Briefs; advice on interlocutory applications and drafting in respect of the interlocutory applications.

Funding Appeal: acting for NGB in respect of challenges to the withdrawal of elite level funding.

Club Eskisehirspor v Kris Boyd (CAS 2012/A/2910): successfully upheld decision of the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber relating to the termination of Kris Boyd’s contract and the sums due to him consequent upon that termination.

Leeds Rugby Limited v Iestyn Harris (1) Bradford Bulls Holdings Limited (2) [2005] EWHC 1591. Preliminary issue on whether agreement between the Claimant and Iestyn Harris was unenforceable as being an unlawful restraint of trade.

FA Premier League - successfully prosecuted an agent for regulation breaches.

FA Premier League - retained by the FA Premier League to investigate the alleged breach of regulations relating to the transfer of a player and thereafter to (successfully) prosecute the player and buying club for breach of FA Premier League Regulations.

Korda v International Tennis Federation (t/a International Tennis Federation) The Independent 21st April 1999 CA. Whether there was a contract between parties relating to anti-doping provisions. Ability of ITF to pursue appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Wilander & Anor v Tobin & Anor (No2) [1997] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 195 CA. Enforcement of anti-doping provisions.

Various unreported domestic doping cases.

Appointed as arbitrator and also appointed as investigator in disciplinary matters.

Acted on numerous classification matters and appeals in Paralympic Sport, including before the Board of Appeal of Classification.

Numerous major games selection appeal hearings.

Sports Work (advice/drafting)

Various advice given to NGB’s on Regulatory & Classification Issues.

Other

Author of numerous published sports law articles in Sport Law Administration & Practice and also articles on LawinSport.

Joint author of the chapter on Selection Disputes in Lewis & Taylor – Sport: Law & Practice (3rd & 4th Editions).

Sport Resolutions Arbitration Panel Member

Judge of the FIA Cost Cap Adjudication Panel

Panel member: LawinSport 6th Annual Conference (November 2020) – ‘Financial Regulation : Salary Caps’

This is Money podcast (March 2019): What is a salary cap in sport and are Financial Fari Play rules working in football?

Chris has extensive experience of acting in a number of property related professional negligence claims, principally against solicitors and surveyors.

As a corollary to Chris’ extensive experience in the field of sports law on regulatory and disciplinary matters (see Sports, Entertainment and Media), Chris also has experience of acting in non-sports matters, including in the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and before the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the Royal College of Psychologists and the Council for Licensed Conveyancers.

As a corollary to Chris’ work for British Waterways/the Canal & River Trust and also his Regulatory & Disciplinary work Chris has been instructed in Judicial Reviews.

Cases include R (on the application of David Frank Devere) v Land Registry and Canal & River Trust (Interested Party) [2013] EWHC 2477, acting for the CRT in resisting the grant of permission and R (on the application of Nick Brown) v Canal & River Trust [2014] EWHC 588 (Admin), acting for the CRT in an application where the Claimant discontinued after the first morning of argument.