ERMA Awards 2011 Full Winners report

Winner: Lease Clinic

The judges were impressed by the innovative way Comptons Solicitors created a specific website to provide a bespoke fixed price legal service aimed at flat owners, which has not only won significant business for the firm but also streamlined the legal process to provide an efficient service for lessees. This has also led the firm to be involved in two significant legal cases, helping to clarify the law on leasehold enfranchisement.

Highly Commended: Marr-Johnson & Stevens
The judges felt Marr-Johnson & Stevens created a simple, easily navigable and informative website with a particularly impressive online lease extension calculator which has since been imitated by several other websites in the sector.

Finalists: Right to Manage Federation, Canonbury Management, Remove-a-landlord.com

Barrister of the Year
sponsored by Pemberton Greenish

Winner: Ellodie Gibbons (Tanfield Chambers)
Ellodie Gibbons has done much to her credit during the last year, aside from appearing in several notable enfranchisement cases and being respected by her peers in the industry for her “calm and sensible approach”, “expertise in enfranchisement work” and being “proactive in flagging up potential issues”. Her authorship of “Leasehold Enfranchisement Explained” - an accessible guide to this complex legal area - caught the judges eye; as well as being one of the first barristers in her chambers to qualify for “direct access” making her services available to a wider net of clients.

Highly Commended: Anthony Radevsky (Falcon Chambers)
The judges noted Anthony Radevsky’s pedigree and reputation in enfranchisement work, and that he is currently awaiting a hearing in the Supreme Court on the question of what is a house. Impressive testimonials highlighted his “effectiveness in cross-examination”, “knowledge at his fingertips”, “readiness to go the extra mile” and a “preference to have him on their side”.

Finalists: Paul Letman
 (3 Hare Court)

London Solicitors of the Year
sponsored by Tanfield Chambers

Winner: Forsters
Forsters impressed the judges with a fantastically busy year including: some 40 lease extension claims, 10 collective enfranchisement claims and numerous 1967 Act claims, a number of which have been reported. The strength and depth of the team was impressive as were the testimonials provided which stressed how they would put up a “strong but fair fight” and be “professional, efficient ...and extremely thorough”.

Highly Commended: Pemberton Greenish
Last year’s winners, Pemberton Greenish, again showed an established reputation for their technical expertise in the area of enfranchisement and were described in testimonials as “exemplary” with the “highest standard of client care”.

Finalists: Comptons Solicitors, JPC Law, Bircham Dyson Bell.


Regional Solicitors of the Year

Winner: Brethertons
Brethertons demonstrated expertise across both enfranchisement and right to manage and a measurable increase in fee income to the firm from enfranchisement work. They were described in testimonials as a “safe pair of hands”. Brethertons impressed judges with their innovative use of webinars to reach out clients and prospective clients and numerous positive comments from the firms’ Client Satisfaction Survey.

Highly Commended: TWM Solicitors
Although a small team, they presented themselves to the judges excellently, with a busy year and a steady flow of high quality and interesting work in both enfranchisement and right to manage claims.

Finalists: Thackray Williams, Debenhams Ottaway

Solicitor of the Year
sponsored by Knight Frank

Winner: Graham Jaffe (JPC Law)
Graham Jaffe is a self-described “fighter” for his clients and a “Rottweiler”. He inspired the judges with a substantial collective enfranchisement with a premium of £13m, his leadership abilities in leading his department, his firm and placing a strong emphasis on training his team, as well as contributing his knowledge to the wider enfranchisement community.

Highly Commended: Hema Anand (Colman Coyle)
Hema Anand commended herself to the judges for dealing with several complex enfranchisement claims, some of which were taken over from other solicitors. Client testimonials said: “few shall be as well versed as you” and the fact that her real success is “steering numerous transactions to a successful conclusion without the need for expensive contested hearings”.

Finalists: Kate Hawken (Thackray Williams), John Stephenson (Bircham Dyson Bell)

Valuers of the Year
sponsored by Wallace LLP

Winner: Marr-Johnson
& Stevens
Marr-Johnson & Stevens showed the judges their ability to apply the law in a practical way to the advantage of their clients in seeking a favourable valuation; a significant number of ongoing client matters almost entirely obtained through referral and recommendation and their skillful handling of the enfranchisement of a large house in volatile market conditions.

Highly Commended: Ringley Chartered Surveyors
Ringley Chartered Surveyors demonstrated to the judging panel a passion for enfranchisement work and a commitment to professional development and leadership within the firm and the industry. The firm showed particular skill in dealing with a collective enfranchisement at a time when the firm described the lessees had “so much to win and so much to lose”.

Finalists: Knight Frank LLP, Langley Byers Bennett, Fanshawe White

Individual valuer
sponsored by Jaffe Porter Crossick LLP

Winner: Timothy Martin (Marr-Johnson & Stevens)
Timothy Martin impressed the judges with a measurable contribution to the total fees billed by the firm; coming up with imaginative solutions to complex enfranchisement problems and appearing as the tenant’s expert valuer in the landmark decision of Grosvenor Estate v Klaasmeyer; in addition to consistently providing an excellent service to clients. Testimonials described him as “technically brilliant” and possessing an ability to make decisions which were not necessarily in his own interest; others were simply “amazed at the proficiency with which he juggled his clients’ demands”.

Highly Commended: Robert Orr-Ewing (Knight Frank)
Robert Orr-Ewing showed the judges and undoubted and impressive command of enfranchisement principles and particular his involvement in many of the leading cases. Testimonials described him as being a “fair and even handed expert witness” with a “disarming charm”. The judges were particularly taken with the way in which he pioneered the Property Mediation Service, and this year was involved in one case which saved his clients £3m.

Finalists: Angus Fanshawe (Fanshawe White), Mary-Anne Bowring (Ringley Chartered Surveyors)

Chambers of the Year
sponsored by Bircham Dyson Bell

Winner: Falcon Chambers
Falcon Chambers has a formidable line-up of experienced juniors and 9 QC’s, the majority of whom do enfranchisement work. In particular, the Chambers impressed the judges with their involvement in many of the leading cases including the “raft of litigation” involving properties in Cadogan Square and Hosebay v Lexgorge. Members regularly contribute to many leading property law textbooks. Testimonials referred to “in-house knowledge of even the darkest recesses of the Acts”; “helpful and efficient front of house staff” and being a “first port of call for any queries on enfranchisement”.

Highly Commended: Tanfield Chambers
Tanfield Chambers’ 26 strong property team appeared in one third of the enfranchisement and RTM cases in the past year including the only fully argued appeal of an RTM case in the past year. The Judges liked their team approach and testimonials referred to Chambers being “responsive and diligent and especially the fact that “the clerks are second to none”.

Young Professional
Winner: Yashmin Mistry (Brethertons)

Yashmin Mistry was described in testimonials as “knowledgeable, courteous and insightful” as well as a “bright and cheerful person”. The Judges were persuaded by how she had developed her practice in a challenging year and established herself as an industry expert and trainer on enfranchisement issues.

Highly Commended: Katie Cohen (JPC Law)
Katie Cohen showed the judges her adaptability to handle both simple and complex leasehold enfranchisement cases across an extremely busy case load as well as her energetic commitment to marketing her practice. Testimonials refered to her “sound legal knowledge” and placing “client care second to none” as well as her “flair for negotiating”.

Finalist: Rob Crossan (Leasehold Solutions), Marie Joyce (Marr-Johnson & Stevens)

Outstanding Achievement
Jennifer Ellis

One of the most experienced “names” in enfranchisement, Jennifer Ellis has an enviable depth of knowledge and experience in this complex area of work over a long and respected career.

She has made a notable and influential impact on the area of enfranchisement and is recognised as an expert, particularly in complex valuation issues involving intermediate landlord’s interests.

Never afraid to give an opinion, Jennifer Ellis has shared her knowledge through contributing, editing or authoring numerous books, papers and lectures including some of the acknowledged tomes in the industry.

She has also lent her professional expertise to other organisations, being a Board Member of LEASE and a Trustee of Lionheart (the RICS benevolent fund), as well as sitting on the RICS President’s Panel of Arbitrators.