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Emma Chadwick

Partner and Head of Litigation, London

Property Litigation

About Emma

Emma leads the property dispute resolution team which specialises in all aspects of land, development and commercial and residential leasehold disputes including housing management. She is a Solicitor Advocate and former Barrister, and has experience of alternative dispute resolution. Emma’s particular expertise is in land and commercial leasehold disputes including estate and asset management, service charges, contested lease renewals, dilapidations, forfeiture, breach of lease covenants and property related insolvency issues.

In addition, Emma deals with trespass, boundary disputes, restrictive covenants and easements, adverse possession and contractual property disputes including development agreements for both large and small scale developments as well as social housing issues. She also deals with telecommunications disputes.

Emma advises Registered Providers, developers and property investors, management agents, government agencies, education institutions, ecclesiastical institutions, corporations and private clients across a variety of sectors and industries. Often her work requires particular political or commercial sensitivity.

Recent Experience

  • Obtaining an injunction on behalf of a Registered Provider against its commercial tenant to restrain unauthorized structural alterations and thereafter forfeiture of a long lease
  • Acting for an ecclesiastical institution in a complex boundary dispute with an adjoining land owner, injuncting unauthorised works to the boundary and securing settlement
  • Advising a government agency on breach of its landlord’s obligations to render service charge accounts and on landlord’s failure to provide air conditioning system
  • Advising managing agents on the recovery of residential service charges across large developments
  • Advising a telecommunications operator on contested lease renewals and cell site occupation issues
  • Advising developer on facilities issues regarding central heating plant on a development scheme
  • Advising a Registered Provider on defects in service charge scheme and on rectification of under leases to prevent shortfall in recovery
  • Acting for charity on property portfolio on recovery of rent and advising on tenant insolvency without forfeiture
  • Advising an institution on a complex lease renewal on a site with development potential

Professional Memberships

  • Law Society of England and Wales
  • Property Litigation Association
  • Solicitor Association of Higher Courts Advocates
  • Honourable Society of Inner Temple

Career Experience

2008 to present: Partner, Winckworth Sherwood

2002 to 2008: Solicitor, then Partner, Freemans

2000 to 2002: Employed Barrister, Ralph Haeems & Co

1996 to 2000: Barrister

Emma Chadwick is “phenomenally good at keeping cool under fire, quick thinking and commercially very astute. She has the complete skillset.”

Chambers and Partners UK

Emma Chadwick “has an excellent brain – she is practical, tactical and very focused on what the client wants to achieve,” say sources.

Chambers and Partners UK

‘Commercial and has a strong legal understanding’ with ‘a good eye for detail, strategic thinking and an ability to instantly strengthen a case.’

Legal 500, 2017