Adrian has a broad chancery practice with an emphasis on contentious matters. His instructions cover the full range of chancery matters but focus in particular on commercial chancery and real property work.

His commercial chancery work includes contractual disputes; company and insolvency matters; commercial fraud; partnership disputes; copyright and design rights; sale of goods. Recent cases in this area include acting in relation to a large-scale alleged commercial fraud involving currency futures trading; a dispute in relation to the sale of a Harley Street dental practice; a dispute in relation to the sale of an amusement arcade business; a dispute in relation to the sale of a very valuable painting by a well-known artist. Adrian is also regularly instructed in commercial disputes with an information technology aspect.

The property work which Adrian undertakes includes disputes in relation to property developments; matters arising out of defective conveyancing; boundary disputes; rights of way disputes; claims based on proprietary estoppel / constructive trusts. Recent cases in this area include Angel Solicitors (A Firm) v Jenkins O'Dowd & Barth (A Firm) [2009] 1 WLR 1220; Clark & another v Lucas Solicitors LLP [2010] 2 All ER 955, Thames Valley Housing Association Limited & others v Elegant Homes (Guernsey) Limited and others [2009] EWHC 2647 (Ch) important cases in relation to solicitors’ undertakings in conveyancing transactions; Buxton Country Homes Limited v Surfbuild Limited [2008] EWHC 1475 (Ch) (led by James Thom QC), a High Court trial involving a dispute between property developers involving a number of properties.

Adrian has acted in property related litigation with a public law aspect: he acted on behalf of the Motoring Organisations’ Land Access and Recreation Association in a successful challenge to traffic regulation orders in the Yorkshire Dales National Park banning recreational mechanically-propelled vehicles from certain routes (Wilson v Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority [2009] EWHC 1425 ). He has previously acted for this association and the British Hang-Gliding and Paragliding Association in successful challenges to DEFRA guidance as to the availability of Single Payment Scheme subsidies where landowners allowed their land to be used for motorsport or paragliding (led by John Macdonald QC).

Adrian is also instructed in all aspects of landlord and tenant, commercial and residential, including: forfeiture proceedings; applications for relief from forfeiture; disrepair and dilapidations claims; contentious renewals of business tenancies.

Adrian’s practice also covers traditional chancery work including: construction of wills; claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975; administration of estates; trusts.