Anne Waltham

Head of the Real Estate Litigation team. We handle contentious property matters including landlord and tenant disputes, property-related insolvency and professional negligence, disputes over joint venture agreements and issues affecting development sites.

Tel: +44 (0)870 733 0586

Email: anne_waltham@wragge.com

Best brains in ...

Rights of light, rent review, including advising arbitrators and independent experts on risk management, in terms of analysing and advising on complex structures.

Highlight of your career so far?

Acting for the University of Central England (now Birmingham City University) in overturning a without notice injunction in relation to property owned by UCE and facilitating a highly advantageous sale of the property.

Most challenging job you've ever done?

Acting for Midtown Limited and Kendall Freeman in relation to a major rights of light claim concerning a development in the City of London. It was particularly challenging given that Kendall Freeman is a law firm with some experienced litigation lawyers!

What about outside the UK?

Acting for a French-based company in a claim for professional negligence against its lawyers relating to a property in the UK.

What's your definition of going the extra mile?

On two recent occasions, co-ordinating a team of lawyers to be on 24-hour standby in the event of protestor action, which would severely disrupt the client's business and, in relation to one of these, obtaining and enforcing an order to evict the protestors on the same day as receiving instructions.

Best example of a creative legal solution?

Advising a client relating to a major threatened dispute with a key tenant and devising a strategy (which was successful) to head off the dispute before the parties became entrenched. The strategy involved a tough legal approach, and simultaneously facilitating discussions between principals and advisers.

When have you ever given a client a real competitive edge?

Keeping up to date with industry developments, regular catch-up meetings and debriefs with clients, research on a client and its business and site visits. Clients often comment how rare it is for property lawyers to do this.

What's been written or said about you that you're most proud of?

'Charming and candid' and 'immaculate' (and that's not referring to my dress sense!). I was once favourably described by a client as demonstrating 'a perfect blend of technical excellence and commerciality'.