Gary Bird

Expertise

Gary has over 30 years’ litigation experience in both real estate and commercial litigation. He deals with any real estate related disputes, in particular landlord and tenant disputes, and provides advice to clients on real estate transactions. 

Gary has litigation experience at all levels of court up to and including the House of Lords. He also has expertise in alternative methods of dispute resolution and extra-judicial tribunals such as the First-tier Tribunal.

Gary worked for a local authority for 13 years before moving into private practice.

He has a wide ranging practice including providing advice to both landlords and tenants on all aspects of landlord and tenant law in both commercial and residential contexts. His clients include national occupiers, shopping centre landlords and individuals. His specialisms include business lease renewals and terminations, exercising or challenging break options, dilapidations disputes, actions for possession of either commercial or residential property and rent review disputes. Gary also frequently advises on matters involving adverse possession and restrictive covenants.

Gary is a member of the Property Litigation Association.

Experience

1. Defending a commercial landlord in a claim for damages brought by tenant alleging a failure to maintain a building in Blackpool.
2. Acting for a BVI trust company in proceedings concerning a statutory lease extension of a prime residential property in Central London.
3. Prevailing in the High Court on the perpetuity period applicable to a pre-emption right granted in 1985.
4. Acting for a freeholder of an apartment block in proceedings brought by the residents’ nominee to purchase the freehold pursuant to their “right of first refusal” under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 and to pursue a claim for damages for breach of contract/ negligence from its former solicitors.
5. Acting for a long leaseholder in High Court proceedings over whether an option agreement had lapsed which involved arguments that terms must be implied into the agreement in order to give it business efficacy and also issues of waiver and estoppel.