Source: https://www.42br.com/christopher-mann?area-of-expertise=904
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 04:07:38+00:00

Document:
Christopher specialises in chancery/commercial, real property and professional negligence work. He has a busy court practice ranging from frequent appearances at trials and interlocutory applications in the TCC, Queen’s Bench and Chancery Divisions to contested multi-track trials and applications in District Registries/ County Courts; and before the Property Chamber. He also has a growing domestic and international arbitration practice. Much of Christopher’s work is advisory – both in writing and in conference. As well as preparing pleadings and other court documents, Christopher is also regularly involved in non-contentious drafting. He routinely appears at mediations/round table conferences and frequently works as part of multi-disciplinary teams and with experts. He is instructed by a large range of solicitors from city firms to regional High Street firms and from large companies to individuals. He is qualified to accept direct access from the public and is willing to consider work on a CFA basis.
Christopher is regularly instructed in chancery disputes and is experienced in the administration of estates, equitable claims (both personal and proprietary), Inheritance Act actions, probate, trusts and wills.
Christopher has extensive experience in this area. He has advised on most kinds of property disputes including claims about registration; applications to rectify the register; co-ownership claims; adverse possession actions; disputes about boundaries and easements; mortgage claims, possession claims and claims against mortgagees for sale at an undervalue. He is very experienced in residential and commercial matters including service charge disputes; rent reviews; dilapidations and breach of covenant claims; 1954 Act applications and leasehold enfranchisement matters.
ICC Arbitration (confidential) – junior member of a team of counsel engaged in a multi-jurisdiction energy-related arbitration. Advising and assisting particularly concerning challenge to the award under s.68 and enforcement; and in related Commercial Court guarantee proceedings.
Begum v Hossain  EWCA Civ 717 – successful appeal to the Court of Appeal on the basis that an expert valuer of shares materially departed from his mandate.
OCC and Cherwell DC v Emaar Construction Ltd (HHJ Harris QC) (March 2014) (compromised)-including a number of novel points, central being whether a section 106 agreement was invalidated by reason of a planning condition in the related planning permission having been held to be ultra vires.
Stroud v Nagra (Ch 2013/0037) (David Donaldson QC) (October 2013)-successful resistance to an appeal from a judgment of HHJ Marshall QC in Central London (Chancery List) as to the interpretation of a lease/consideration of admissibility of fresh evidence.
Cetyl International Group Inc v Cartwright (Court of Appeal)(July 2013)-appeal against a County Court strike out by reason of a failure to make an interim payment; compromised shortly before hearing.
Ap (UK) Limited v West Midlands Fire and Civil Defence Authority v R, G and P Patel (QBD) (Master Fontaine) (2012) (HQ05X00341)- long-running non-party costs claim by the Fire Brigade against the Respondent Patels arising from QB actions stuck out in 1999 and 2005; consideration of the appropriate test for non-party directors’ liability for costs and apportionment of costs liability.
Eugene McLaughlin and others v Bradbury & Co Limited/Sunday Solutions Limited (claim HC10C00779)-claim on behalf of over 80 IT contractors for restitution/damages/tracing and other equitable remedies; action issued in 2010 and stayed following a public interest winding up petition presented against the defendant companies; several interlocutory hearings concerning Bankers Book/injunctive/disclosure applications.
Cada Design Group Limited v Magazini Familia Eood (QBD) (Dec 2009) (HQ0X02023)-successful claim for damages against a Bulgarian company; conflict of laws/English/Bulgarian company/restitution law.
Ascham Homes v All Leaseholders in the LB Waltham Forest (Lands Tribunal) (President; George Bartlett QC) (2009) (LT LRX/8/2009) – successful resistance on behalf of lessees to application by Ascham Homes, represented by Timothy Fancourt QC, for permission to appeal; consideration of the extent of the Tribunal’s implied jurisdiction to review a decision to refuse permission to appeal (also appeared at first instance before the LVT when successfully resisted Ascham’s attempt to have validated its non-compliance with service charge notification requirements for borough-wide refurbishment works) (LON/00BH/LDC/2007/0065).
Jafferali v. Jafferali (Central London Chancery List) (2007-2008): mortgage dispute/undue influence.
O’Sullivan v. O’Sullivan (Chancery Division) (2006) – validity of a cheque.
Alts Limited v. Ridgeway Motors (Isleworth) Limited  1 WLR 2871  EWCA Civ 92 – (Court of Appeal) – whether a bankruptcy/winding up petition statute barred by s.24 of the Limitation Act 1980 after 6 years (with Jeremy Callman).
Alts Limited v. Ridgeway Motors (Isleworth) Limited (No. 2) (Chancery Division) (2005) – case involving adverse possession issues and removal of the CPR automatic stay.
Lexi Holdings Plc v. Pandora Deborah Karen Maxwell (Oxford County Court) (2005) – possession proceedings in respect of Moulsford Manor, Oxfordshire, which attracted considerable national press coverage.
Philipps v. Forte (QBD and Central London Chancery List) (2003-2004): forfeiture/service charge dispute.
SIF v. David & Elaine Dunphy (QBD) (Oxford District Registry) (2002-2003) – successful resistance, acting for SIF, to an attempt to seek to avoid recovery of a mortgage shortfall by an alleged release of a guarantor.
Salako Agents Limited v. Aerometals BV & others (QBD) (Commercial Court) – (Claim No. 2001 Folio 963) (2002)– high value property development claim including misrepresentation issues – with Roger Ellis QC (leader) and Gabriel Buttimore (first junior).
Operation Present – conducted well over 300 immigration cases on behalf of the Treasury Solicitor/Home Office (2000-2004): considerable ventilation of Human Rights arguments.
1996 MA (Hons) in Modern History, Magdalen College, Oxford. First class in finals and moderations.
1997 CPE Diploma in Law (City University).
1998 Bar Vocational Course: Inns of Court School of Law: graded very competent.
Demy (Full Scholar) of Magdalen College, Oxford.
Lincoln’s Inn Hardwicke Entrance Scholarship.
Judicial Assistant to the Court of Appeal (attached to Otton and Buxton LJJ) January – May 2000. Involvement in research and preparation of memoranda/briefing notes for Judges of the Court of Appeal (Civil Division) regarding a number of high profile and interesting cases.
Regular provider of CPD-accredited talks and contributor to Chambers’ newsletters. Past topics have included the role of experts; rent reviews; preferences/transactions at an under-value; guarantees; the Community Infrastructure Levy and claims against financial advisers after Rubenstein.
Some French, Italian and Russian.
Music; opera; theatre; cricket; chess; travel.

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