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Natasha Rees

Forsters LLP | Senior Partner

Biography

A Lawyer Hot 100, described as ‘standout’ and ‘very high profile’ in Chambers 2024, and at the ‘forefront of Forsters’ success’ in Legal 500 2024, Natasha was elected to be Senior Partner in September 2022.

Natasha is well known for working with leaseholders, protecting their interests through the Courts and Tribunals. Most notably, she acted for the leaseholders in their successful nuisance action against the Tate Gallery in the Supreme Court, known as Fearn and others (Appellants) v Board of Trustees of the Tate Gallery (Respondent). As an enfranchisement specialist, she also acts for leaseholders in leading enfranchisement cases. She succeeded in the House of Lords in the leading cases Aggio and Sportelli and created the test enfranchisement structure for the Ministry of Defence, going on to lead on the successful proceedings relating to their UK property portfolio, known as Annington Property Ltd v Secretary of State for Defence 2023. As a result of this claim, the MOD was able to re-acquire their UK property portfolio at a fraction of its market value. he is recognised in The Legal 500 Hall of Fame and as a Band 1 Ranked Lawyer in the Chambers UK Guide 2025.

Precarious rights become permanent

It is often the case in collective enfranchisement claims that issues arise over communal areas. The recent appeal of The Corporation of Trinity House 2016 v 4-6 Trinity Church Square Freehold Limited [2018] EWCA Civ 764 highlights a problem concerning precarious rights over communal gardens and how these should be dealt with in collective claims. The statutory provisions that govern what can be acquired are found in Section 1 of the 1993 Act. It allows tenants to acquire property which is not included i

The Law Commission's key proposals

On 21 July 2021 the Law Commission published its key proposals on leasehold reform and the future of home ownership. The three reports which deal with enfranchisement, right to manage and commonhold tie in with the Government's aim to address problems with leasehold ownership. It is encouraging to see the issues addressed in such a cohesive way. The proposals set out ways to make the process of enfranchisement easier and cheaper. They suggest reforms to the right to manage legislation and they encourage

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