Banking, Finance and Insolvency

Simon has a wide range of experience in Insolvency Matters acting for both individuals and creditors.

Company and Commercial

General Commercial litigation – including contract disputes, partnership disputes, Companies Act regulation and shareholder actions.

Costs

During the course of his practice Simon has accumulated extensive experience of dealing with costs arguments and regularly represent both paying and receiving parties at cost management hearings and detailed assessments.

Education

Simon is growing his practice in the area of education law. He is direct access qualified and is available to act for parents, students and local authorities in a range of education cases including:

• Admission and exclusion appeals in front of independent panels
• Appeals to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (‘SEND’ Tribunal) concerning EHC assessments and/or exclusions
• Upper Tribunal appeals arising from decisions of the SEND Tribunal
• Advice and representation regarding judicial review
• Issues in transitioning SEN students to EHC assessments
• Cases involving further and higher education.

Simon has acted for Local Authorities in employment matters.

Simon has act in a multi-track discrimination claim against a Russell Group University.

Family - Finance

Simon has extensive experience of medium – high net worth cases including those involving business interests.

Simon has also advised in a number of cases involving the recognition of overseas marriages and divorces in the UK and Schedule 1 Children Act cases

Family - Children

Simon has acted in numerous public law cases for local authorities, parents, relatives and children through their guardian. He has a vast experience of representing people with learning difficulties and mental health difficulties, both directly and through the Official Solicitor. Simon has dealt with a number of NAI cases with areas of medical complexity,

Simon has a wide experience of acting in a wide range of private Children Act cases for parents, relatives and children with party status.

Inquests

Simon has experience in Inquest work, in particular acting for interested parties. He has particular expertise in matters touching upon the practices and procedures of mental health and social care professionals.

Cases

The Inquest of EB 2016: Representing a Local Authority as interested party in an inquest involving the death of an elderly patient in a care home.

Property and Private Client

Housing

Simon has considerable experience of acting on behalf of, and advising, Local Authorities and Registered Social Landlords, particularly in the area of anti-social behaviour. The types of proceedings in which he has been instructed include:

• Possession Claims where the breach of the tenancy agreement has been anti-social behaviour and/or rent arrears
• Committal proceedings
• Applications for Anti-Social Behaviour Injunctions

Simon regularly represents private landlords in possession claims, disrepair clams and tenancy deposit schemes.

Commercial Tenancies

Simon acts for both landlords and tenants in commercial property disputes and has experience of dealing with application for renewal of tenancies, forfeiture and wrongful eviction.

Trust of Land

Simon undertakes deals with property disputes between unmarried former cohabitants under TLATA 1996. This includes cases in which there are issues as to:

• The beneficial ownership of a property that is held in the sole name of one party
• Disputes in relation to the parties’ share of the equity in a jointly owned property
• Occupation rent and equitable accounting
• Orders for sale.

He also has experience of dealing with applications for financial provision by unmarried parents under Schedule One Children Act 1989.

Simon also accepts instructions for claims under ToLATA in a business context.

Sport, Media and Entertainment Law

Simon represented a Local Authority who were sued by Bernice Wilson, a British sprinter who was suspended after failing a drugs test at the Bedford International Games in June 2012. She was found to have been taking testosterone and performance enhancing drug clenbuterol.

She was dismissed from her employment as a consequence and took the matter to Employment Tribunal. Simon acted for the employer and successfully resisted the claim.

Public Access

Simon is accredited to receive instructions directly from members of the public through the Public Access Scheme.