Alan Edwards & Co
Campden Hill House
192-196 Campden Hill Road
London W8 7TH
Tel: 020 7221 7644
Fax: 020 7243 1076
DX: 94205 Notting Hill Gate
Our offices are within a two-minute walk of Notting Hill Gate tube station.
News
January 2012
The Closing Date for Paralegal / Trainee Applications is 5.00pm 8th February 2012
For details see the the Recruitment and Training Contracts section.
January 2012
Alan Edwards & Co Win Permission for Appeal - Case Reported in "Legal Action"
The report on Chawa v Kensington and Chelsea RLBC, which was published in the housing section of the January 2012 edition of Legal Action can be seen here. More cases are listed in the Cases and Press Coverage section.
5 September 2011
A Partner at Alan Edwards & Co has an Article Published in the Solicitors Journal Dealing with the Eviction of Rioters by Housing Authorities.
Zero Tolerance
After the riots, several local authorities promised to evict those involved. Tilly Rubens examines whether they have the power
Wandsworth Council in London was one of the first to issue a notice of seeking possession against one of their tenants, after her son was arrested and charged in connection with the riots in Clapham Junction.
The full text of the article is here. Other articles are listed in the Cases and Press Coverage section.
6 July 2011
Alan Edwards & Co In Challenge to Westminster City Council's Housing Allocation Policy
On 6 July 2011 in the High Court Judgment was handed down by Mr Justice Nicol in the case of Babakandi –v- Westminster City Council (2011) EWHC 1756 (Admin). The case concerns an application by Mr Babakandi that the City Council’s housing allocation policy is unlawful, or that the manner of its operation does not accord with the adopted scheme. It was also argued that the scheme is flawed because it automatically debars tenants with rent arrears from bidding for properties. Other grounds of challenge were advanced. Nicol J dismissed the application, but the matter is now pending with the Court of Appeal, an application for permission to appeal having been lodged. The full transcript of the case can be found here and also in our cases section.
9 June 2011
Alan Edwards & Co Win National Award “Best Recruiter – Small Firm”
Having been one of six nominees for this award in 2010, the firm won this award, one of several which recognised the best recruiters and trainees among law firms, based on a survey of over 2,500 trainee and newly qualified solicitors.
Presenting the awards, Matthew Broadbent of LawCareers.net read the following from one of the responses given by the firm’s trainees and young solicitors:
“The interview and selection process was very efficient and those that interviewed me were very approachable. I was also given the opportunity to speak with an existing trainee which I found very encouraging. Finally, they were very honest about the firm and what to expect from a training contract and, if anything, training at the firm has exceeded my expectations”.
Mr Broadbent went on to say “We can only commend those firms that demonstrate that creating and nurturing new lawyers is the pathway to success”.
A full list of those nominated for and given awards is on the LawCareers.net website www.lawcareers.net and will also appear in The Times.
In the picture: Alan Edwards & Co, partners Morris John (left) and Graham French (right) with trainee Victoria Grant (right) and paralegal Alice Collingson (left) with the award.
Alan Edwards & Co Walk for Legal Charity on 16th May 2011
Alan Edwards & Co. staff will be joining the Seventh London Legal sponsored walk through Central London on 16th May 2011 to raise funds for Law Centres and free legal advice centres in London and the South East, which are more essential than ever in view of yet further cuts in legal aid scope and eligibility.
The 10Km route will take walkers in a loop out to the Serpentine in Hyde Park and end up at the Law Society in Chancery Lane. Alan Edwards staff will be joining over 200 other teams from City Firms, chambers, courts, law centres and advice agencies. The Lord Chief Justice, Master of the Rolls, President of the Law Society and the Attorney General will be joining us on the walk.
We do hope that you will be able to sponsor us in this venture, and help raise much needed funds for legal advice centres in and around London by logging online to
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/AlanEdwardsSolicitors
Alternatively you can sign the sponsorship form in our reception.
4 May 2011
Alan Edwards & Co Nominated for LawCareers.net Award – Best Recruiter – Small Firm.
For the third year running, Alan Edwards & Co has been nominated for one of the prestigious Law Careers.net Training & Recruitment awards, following a survey of over 2,500 trainees and newly qualified solicitors. The awards ceremony is on the 8th June.
Law Careers.net is regarded as the pre eminent resource for those seeking a career in the legal profession, and is run in conjunction with the Law Society. In previous years it has been said of the Awards, which are judged by a panel with reference to sources from the profession, such as the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners : “ It is more important than ever for the good guys to stand up and be counted…the LCN awards, based on real experiences, are one of the best indicators of who has got it right”.
We are delighted to have been nominated, which in itself is no small achievement.
15 March 2011
Alan Edwards & Co Wins Permission for Judicial Review
On the 4 March 2011, permission was granted to judicially review the City of Westminster’s Housing Allocation policy in the matter of The Queen on the application of Medhi Babakandi –v- Westminster City Council (CO/10474/2010).
The Judicial Review relates to a finding by the council that our client is not entitled to a housing transfer and is currently forbidden from bidding for accommodation.
The issue for the High Court to consider is whether the council has incorrectly applied their housing allocation policy to our client’s detriment.
The full Judicial review hearing will take place later on this summer.
20 September 2010
Alan Edwards & Co Win over £1.3m for Two Tenant Managed Estates in Lambeth.
Following a three and a half year dispute between Thorlands Housing Management Society, Angell Town Estate Management Board and the London Borough of Lambeth as to the correct calculation of allowances payable by Lambeth Council to the two estates, arbitration proceedings were settled just before an arbitration hearing, with the Council agreeing further allowances, over and above those already paid for the last three financial years. The settlement effectively reversed three years of cuts in allowances totalling around 30%.
The dispute was a complex and wide ranging one and involved both proceedings in the commercial court and a lengthy arbitration. There were extensive and complex financial issues to address, in which the estates were greatly assisted by local government financial expert, Doug Hale. There were also complex issues as to the construction of the various Right to Manage Regulations, the applicability of the Regulations and contractual and public law issues.
The monies due to the estates should enable the two estates to be put on an even financial footing and will go towards the proper management, maintenance and repair of the estates.
Eric Jarivs, Board Member of Angell Town EMB commented “it isn’t an exaggeration to say that this case secured the future of our estate. We are grateful for the diligence and care that our legal representatives took, as it was that which gave us the confidence to continue through the long and often daunting struggle”.
The case was conducted by the firm’s Senior Litigation Partner Graham French with Counsel Terry Gallivan from Arden Chambers.
20 January 2010
Alan Edwards & Co Win Permission to Appeal in Homelessness Case
On 19 January 2010, permission was granted to appeal to the Court of Appeal in Mahamed v City of Westminster (B5/2009/1898). The appeal relates to a finding by the Council that our client made herself intentionally homeless.
The issue for the Court of Appeal to consider is whether the Council had failed to consider the affordability of her accommodation, further to the Homelessness and Suitability of Accommodation Order 1996.
The full appeal hearing is to be heard in May 2010.
Update – the case settled on terms favourable to our client before the full Appeal took place.
30 October 2009
Developments in Enfranchisement
Qualifying tenants on a collective enfranchisement do not have a right to participate in the collective enfranchisement in the sense that once a group of qualifying tenants has formed the necessary 50% to proceed that group can exclude any other qualifying tenants. The Government sought to remedy this ability to exclude by introducing in the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 provision whereby the vehicle to acquire a freehold interest had to be a Right to Enfranchise Company which had to invite all qualifying tenants to participate.
However, there was a consensus amongst practitioners in the field, to include Alan Edwards, that the provisions were drawn in such a way so as to render collective enfranchisement more difficult to achieve. The provisions of the 2002 Act have gradually been brought into force, save for the provision in relation to Right to Enfranchisement Companies. The Government has now bowed to the inevitable by announcing that those particular provisions will not be brought into force.
There has been a further recent positive development in the field of collective enfranchisement, in that the Finance Act 2009 contains provision that stamp duty land tax on a collective enfranchisement will no longer be calculated on the purchase price but on the individual contributions to the purchase price.
This Firm recently partially succeeded on an appeal to the Lands Tribunal from the Leasehold valuation Tribunal by establishing that the Freeholder was not able to establish full development value notwithstanding that planning permission had been obtained subsequent to the service of the Initial Notice. Sherwood Hall (East and Road ) Management Company Limited and Magnolia Tree Ltd (LRA/1/2008)
9 April 2009
Alan Edwards & Co win two notable cases in the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal
In the past few weeks we have secured two notable successes in the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal in two separate cases, one relating to a substantial service charge dispute and the other relating to forfeiture and breaches of covenants in a lease.
In Winchester Court Freehold Limited v. Halat Company Limited and Farrow Properties Limited (LON/00AW/LBC/2008/0073), in which we acted for Winchester Court Freehold Limited, the Tribunal determined that the Respondents were in breach of the covenants in the lease by subletting without consent and by letting to individuals who did not satisfy the “family” test contained in their lease. The full text of the decision is here.
In 3Strathmore Gardens Limited v. Ms Soheir Kamal (LON/00AW/LSC/2008/0197) in which we acted for 3 Strathmore Gardens Limited, the Tribunal found that the Respondent was liable for service charges and contribution to the cost of major works in the total sum of £29,349.80. In a wide ranging decision the Tribunal dismissed a number of arguments raised by the Respondents as to why she should not be liable for this sum, and found that the sum was reasonable and properly due and owing. The full text of the decision is here.