Ashley Wilson - Dispute Resolution & Litigation

Dispute Resolution and Litigation

Litigation is an unwelcome experience at any time. Dealing with a dispute, be it small or large, can be a particularly demanding experience, especially where there is uncertainty around the cost implications and procedures involved.

Litigation

The Litigation Team at AWS LLP manages disputes for a wide range of clientele. We provide practical and specialist advice with the aim of resolving your dispute quickly and cost-effectively. Working in partnership with you it will always be our objective to:

- Focus on the issues that are paramount to you, the client
- Identifying the goals that you seek to achieve from litigation
- Avoid the cost and uncertainty of long-running litigation.

Court Costs

Whatever the cause for litigation, as your legal advisers, we will fully protect your interests at all times. A failure to appreciate the seriousness of the circumstances may lead to an adverse decision against a person/company which could have been avoided if the correct legal advice had been sought and obtained at an early stage.

Litigation can be very expensive. Even a victor in court can find that recovery of the costs involved is often difficult and carries further expense. Understanding our Clients’ aims means that we can then tailor our advice to give the best possible chance of achieving a successful outcome.
An honest assessment of the costs implication of the various options open to the Client will be provided to you at the outset of our consultation prior to the instigation of litigation or other legal action.

Negotiation & Settlement

Wherever possible, we always seek to settle disputes by negotiation as this is often in the best interests of our clients. Our Litigation Team will work with you to reach a mutually satisfactory outcome to both parties within the dispute.

There are occasions when court action is necessary and in these cicrumstances you can rest assured that our team will provide a robust and efficient presentation of your case in order to gain the best possible result.

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

In many cases, disputes can be resolved by using alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods such as mediation and arbitration. These procedures tend to be more informal and less adversarial and indeed, more economical than engaging full Court proceedings.

Our Dispute Resolution and Litigation Specialists

Tony Wilson

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Legal Updates

Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill

In January 2026 the Government published the Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, confirming its intention to cap ground rents in existing residential leases at £250 per annum, with a longer-term objective of reducing those rents to a peppercorn. Another proposal by the Bill is to ban the creation of new leaseholds and instead to make commonhold the default mode of flat ownership.

The Bill has been published in draft form only and is subject to pre-legislative scrutiny, consultation and amendment. It is important for leaseholders, landlords and managing agents to understand the effects of the proposals and the likely timescale for their implementation.

Law Commission recommendations to reform the Right to Manage

The Right to Manage (RTM) was introduced in 2002 giving flat owners the ability collectively TO take over the management functions in respect of their building without having to prove fault on the part of those responsible for management under their lease (usually their landlord) or paying a premium.

Does a development constitute a number of separate buildings for freehold enfranchisement?

Does a development constitute a single “building” or a number of separate “buildings” for the purpose of freehold enfranchisement?

There have been a number of decisions around the question of whether flat owners’ rights operate on a block by block basis or in respect of a number of blocks via single claim in connection with collective enfranchisement, the enfranchisement of the freehold to a single house, the right to manage and the right of first refusal.