Liam Bell

Jump to:

I am a Partner specialising in commercial property disputes and property insolvency. I help clients across the real estate sector to anticipate, avoid, and proactively manage litigation and alternative means of dispute resolution.

I work with a diverse range of clients, including shopping centre and garden centre owners, industrial park and business centre operators, property developers, high-net-worth individuals, and tenants of offices, warehouses, and retail units. My expertise covers not only commercial landlord-tenant, including dilapidation claims, disputes over rent and service charges, and lease forfeiture, but also all aspects of “real” property, such as boundary and trespass issues, squatter evictions, and rights-of-way claims.

In addition to my core practice, I have considerable experience dealing with property insolvency issues. I assist creditors and Insolvency Practitioners on the property aspects of company liquidation, administration, and CVAs and often advise retail landlords on what those processes mean for their portfolios.

A significant part of my practice involves advising clients on how to avoid litigation, no matter which side of a dispute they are on. I take a commercial approach by understanding the client’s unique motivations and risk tolerance, and my reasoning will always be clear and straightforward whether I ultimately recommend settling or pursuing aggressive legal action.

My time away from work is primarily dedicated to my three young daughters, and I can be found most weekends cheering them on at one of their many dance competitions or karate gradings.

Contact Liam

Acting for the successful landlord in Restaurant EC3 Limited v Tavor Holdings Limited [2024] EWHC 3104 (Ch), a high-profile case relating to the forfeiture of the Simpsons Tavern lease in Cornhill, City of London. The decision upheld the principle that damages for trespass are compensatory in nature and set an important precedent for the treatment of “mesne profits” in landlord-tenant trespass claims.
Acting for Brewdog in connection with various property disputes, including squatter eviction, claims against landlords for unreasonably withholding consent to assign, and claims for breach of contract and professional negligence.
Acting for a national shopping centre operator in connection with debt recovery and other lease enforcement issues across its extensive portfolio, including lease forfeiture, rent deposit disputes, and obtaining bankruptcy and winding up orders against insolvent tenants.
Acting for a number of nationwide garden centre chains on all aspects of their concession lease portfolio, including serving and disputing break notices, recovering vacant possession, lease and licence termination, and disrepair and dilapidations claims.
Acting for the successful appellant in Jacobs v Chalcot Crescent (Management) Company Ltd [2024] EWHC 259 (Ch), an important residential landlord-tenant decision dealing with the grounds on which a landlord may reasonably refuse consent for tenant alterations.