Email: karas@falcon-chambers.com

Qualifications: Barrister, FCIArb

Jonathan Karas KC FCIArb practises in all areas of rural land law. In addition to the law of landlord and tenant and agricultural holdings, he has experience in the law of development, planning and compulsory purchase, forestry, highways and waterways, minerals and manorial rights, commons and greens. He regularly has to consider valuation issues in the context of rural disputes.

Jonathan was called to the Bar in 1986. Before being appointed KC in 2006 he served on the ‘A’ Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown (2000-2006) and before that on the Supplementary Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown (Common Law) (now the ‘B’ Panel) (1995-2000). He was made a FCIArb in 2014.

Email: cmcnall@18sjs.com

Qualifications: Barrister, FALA, Accredited Mediatior

Christopher McNall is a barrister specialising in agricultural law (especially tenancies under the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986, proprietary estoppel and Inheritance Act claims, and disputes involving crop failures and animal deaths) and is a CEDR accredited mediator. He edited the latest edition of the Agricultural Land section of Halsbury’s Laws of England, and is the author of ‘A Practical Guide to Agricultural Tenancies’ and Practical Law’s Rural Affairs ‘View from the Bar’ column.

He has wide experience of advising and representing parties in disputes before Courts and Tribunals and in arbitrations. He also sits as a fee-paid judge of the County Court and the First-tier Tribunal and is Principal Judge of the Agricultural Land Tribunal for Wales/Tribiwnlys Tir Amaethyddol Cymru, where he has dealt with a wide range of tenancy and drainage disputes. He has also acted as an independent ‘Third Party’ appointed by the parties to determine disputes.

Email: peters@falcon-chambers.com

Qualifications: Barrister, FCIArb

Edward Peters is a property litigation specialist, experienced in all aspects of landlord and tenant and real property law – agricultural, commercial, and residential. He has been a barrister at Falcon Chambers since 1999, and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators since 2014.

‘Outstanding.’ (Chambers UK Guide)

Agricultural and rural disputes form a substantial part of his practice, encompassing Farming Partnerships, Farm Contracting Agreements, the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986, the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995, and a very great variety of other property disputes; and, as to forum, contractual arbitrations, statutory arbitrations, and proceedings in the First-tier Tribunal, Agricultural Land Tribunal, Upper Tribunal, High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

He has extensive experience of valuation issues, in many and diverse contexts.

He is an editor of Muir Watt on Agricultural Holdings, Woodfall’s Law of Landlord and Tenant, and various other works concerning property law.

Email: shea@falcon-chambers.com

Qualifications: Barrister, FCIArb

Caroline Shea KC is a King’s Counsel (appointed in 2016) and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (appointed in 2014). She has specialised in property law since starting her career as a barrister at Falcon Chambers in 1995, where she continues to practice. Caroline specialises in rural and agricultural law, and co-authors Muir Watt and Moss (15th edition, 2018) on the law of agricultural holdings.

As an arbitrator and expert, she is appointed in claims involving both agricultural and general property law. Typical disputes in which Caroline is appointed include: Notices to Quit, especially under the 1986 Act; rent reviews; restrictive covenants and easements; family trusts; development agreements; proprietary estoppel; dilapidations; boundary issues; questions of construction. She is listed as a leading silk for rural and agricultural law, and for general property litigation, in both the major directories, and in 2019 was nominated by Legal 500 as Real Estate Silk of the Year.

Email: mtownsend@savills.com

Qualifications: FRICS, FAAV, MCIArb, TEP

Mike Townsend is a Director of Savills. He has a wealth of experience in dispute resolution, valuation and estate planning garnered during 40 years practicing as a chartered surveyor and is a member of STEP and an Arbitrator, Independent Expert and an Accredited Mediator.

He has been a member of the RICS panel of Arbitrators for 10 years and during that time has acted as arbitrator on a wide range of issues including the validity of notices to quit under the special cases A to H.

His deep understanding of the rural property market alongside his extensive experience in the dispute resolution arena and his knowledge and understanding of arbitration law and procedure enables him to assimilate and filter evidence quickly and efficiently.

Mike’s approach is technically thorough and detailed with a good measure of practicality and common sense.

Email: windsor@falcon-chambers.com

Qualifications: Barrister, FCIArb

Emily Windsor is a barrister practising from Falcon Chambers, London. She is listed as a leading practitioner for both Real Estate Litigation and Agriculture in both the Legal 500 and Chambers UK Guides.

Clients have described her as “brilliant”: “a true expert”; “stand-out” and “very pragmatic and clear”.

Emily has wide experience of property litigation at all levels, with particular expertise in agricultural arbitrations. She regularly sits a Deputy District Judge and arbitrator. She is also frequently invited to act as a legal assessor. Until recently, Emily was also a board member of the Bar Standards Board.

Email: jeremyzeid@icloud.com

Qualifications: FRICS, FCIArb, FAAV

Jeremy is a rural practice Chartered Surveyor and Agricultural Valuer with over 25 years’ experience. He regularly acts as an arbitrator to resolve a wide variety of rural property related disputes including statutory arbitrations under the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 and Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 as well as disagreements under Contract Farming and Partnership Agreements.

He specialises in the valuation of rural, agricultural and equestrian property and is frequently appointed as an Independent Expert to determine valuation disputes under Option Agreements and Overage Deeds in relation to residential development land throughout East Anglia.

He holds a Masters Degree in Arbitration Law & Dispute Resolution Practice from Kingston University and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Email: timrussbytham@btinternet.com

Qualifications: FCIArb

Tim is a retired solicitor with 40 years of experience in private practice and also sat before retirement as Full-time District Judge. He now practices as a mediator and arbitrator. He is known for his practical and empathetic approach to resolving disputes, particularly in the agricultural food and rural sectors.

His practice, when a solicitor, was in agricultural private client and food industry disputes including wills probate and trust claims, Proprietary Estoppel claims, real property and tenancy disputes, commercial disputes both in agricultural and food businesses and professional negligence claims (solicitors accountants and surveyors, mostly involving farming and food businesses).

Clients describe him as proactive, engaged, and considerate, ensuring that their concerns are addressed with both commercial awareness and a personal touch.

Tim has acted as a mediator in over two hundred and fifty disputes. He qualified with ADR Group in 1996 and again with CEDR in 2001. He qualified as an Arbitrator in 2001 and holds the FCIArb qualification. He has handed down over 30 Awards as an arbitrator and had never been successfully appealed.

His extensive experience as a solicitor, notary public, and arbitrator allows him to offer clear, practical advice and support to parties having these sorts of complex cases where his detailed knowledge of the law and the industry offers a real point of difference to aid settlement. Tim’s clients often comment on his energy, commercial sense, and his ability to foster strong working relationships, making the resolution process as smooth and constructive as possible.

His website giving much more information as to his practice is at www.bytham.co.uk