Meet the partners: Keith Songhurst

What type of work do you and your team do?
I lead the South Essex dispute resolution team and we assist clients in recovering debts and resolving disputes.  I personally specialise in disputes relating to property, but other team members have their own specialisms and there are very few occasions where we do not have the necessary experience within the team to assist in any particular matter.

Is it right that you only deal with businesses?
No, not at all.  Whilst we have many business clients, a large proportion of our work involves assisting individuals.  We also act for other organisations such as local authorities, schools, universities and charities.

Will you only look after large property investors?
In my property work I do act for investors, developers and other businesses with large property portfolios.  However, I regularly assist individuals with disputes relating to their own properties, or perhaps those that have bought one or two properties as ‘buy to let’ investments and are having difficulties with their tenants.

What was the most interesting dispute you’ve had to deal with?
I don’t think that I could pick one in particular, but some of those that stick longest in the memory include actions to evict squatters or trespassers.  I also took great personal satisfaction from assisting a local parish council successfully oppose attempts by a property developer to force it to give up an area of land that had been used as a local playing field by the public for many years.  And then there was the one where I assisted a client in getting a civil restraint order from the High Court preventing a particularly persistent individual from issuing any more claims against them...

How do you approach property disputes?
I will always start by trying to work out with my client exactly what their objectives are and how best to achieve them.  I believe that it is important to be very clear about this from the start.  I will discuss the options with my client and the costs and risks associated with those options.  The approach can then be tailored to match.  This can range from quietly assisting a client in the background to achieve an amicable resolution without lawyers getting too involved, to trying to resolve matters in correspondence or via mediation, to taking proceedings in court.

How do you and your team cooperate to provide the best service for clients?
Our strength and depth means that we have a wide range of specialisms and levels of experience, and can ensure that each particular matter is dealt with by the best person for the job.  However, we also work very closely together as a team, drawing on each other’s expertise as and when we need it, so as provide the best possible service to our clients.

What should we expect to see from you and your team in the future?
We are launching a fixed-fee possession claim service to assist landlords with recovering possession of their properties from residential tenants in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible.

 

Keith Songhurst
01245 453821
keith.songhurst@birkettlong.co.uk

The contents of this article are intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article.
The contents of this article are intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article.