The 51st Blundell Lectures

• Falcon Chambers

Nat Duckworth is a barrister at Falcon Chambers whose practice encompasses all aspects of real estate and landlord and tenant work. He was real estate barrister of the year in 2023 and was ranked in Band 1 in both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 before taking silk in 2025. He is a co-author of Residential and Commercial Service Charges.

Like all of us who practice in this field, he has good days and bad days: in Donovan v Prescott Place Freehold Ltd [2024] EWCA Civ 298, he persuaded the Court of Appeal that a party found to have committed fraud was entitled to keep hold of the fruits of his fraud; in AHGR Ltd v Kane [2023] EWCA Civ 428, he somehow failed to persuade the Court of Appeal that a “live/work” use covenant in a lease required the tenant to carry on at least some form of business activity from the unit.

Although happy to turn his hand to anything property related, he has a particular penchant for cases with an NHS angle to them, mind-twisting rent review provisions, and cases in other jurisdictions, especially in the Caribbean and other warm places.

Guy Newey practised at the Chancery Bar between 1983 and his appointment as a High Court Judge (Chancery Division) at the beginning of 2010. Before taking silk in 2001, he was one of the Junior Counsel to the Crown (Chancery/A Panel) (from 1990) and Junior Counsel to the Charity Commissioners (from 1991). In 2003 he became an (Acting) Deemster of the Isle of Man, and in 2006 he was appointed as a Deputy High Court Judge. He also served as a DTI inspector, inquiring into the affairs of MG Rover and associated companies. As a judge, he was the Chancery Supervising Judge for Wales and the Midland and Western Circuits between 2014 and 2017. He has been a Lord Justice of Appeal since October 2017.

• Birketts

Daisy is a Senior Associate in Birketts’ agriculture and estates team. She advises farmers, landowners, and estate managers on agricultural property matters, including estate management, farm transactions, refinancing, and tenancies. With specialist expertise, she provides tailored guidance for unique rural assets. A key area of her work involves natural capital, including Biodiversity Net Gain agreements, carbon markets, sequestration schemes, and national Landscape Recovery Projects. Daisy also handles complex farm and estate sales for families and high‑net‑worth clients. As part of Birketts’ ESG advisory team, she helps farming businesses meet sustainability and financial goals.

• Terra Nova Land Management

Sholto has worked in data-led strategy and management of land since 2006. He is a practising Chartered Surveyor, whose work involves reforming approaches to strategic land use by creating data-led change. Before establishing his current businesses, Sholto was a Partner of a major national land management business, having studied at Durham and RAU, the latter of which he returned to as a guest-lecturer in the future of land management.

Sholto lives and works in the rural west country, devoting his time to the land, rivers and the outdoors. He founded Terra Nova in 2017 and established Searchlight as a bespoke rural property management system in 2020. In 2022 he founded Harrier as a Dynamic Land Intelligence platform to optimise land use.

• Tellus Natural Capital

Kate Russell is an independent Natural Capital consultant, Agricultural Valuer, Chartered Surveyor and Chartered Environmentalist. She co-founded Tellus Natural Capital Ltd in 2021 to help farmers and landowners across the UK to prepare for and take advantage of emerging markets in ecosystem services.

• Falcon Chambers

Elizabeth specialises in commercial property litigation and disputes relating to development land, but her expertise extends to all aspects of real property law and landlord and tenant law. Her practice also includes insolvency and professional negligence disputes.

• GIA Surveyors

Kevin is a Board Director at GIA Surveyors, a multidisciplinary surveying and environmental practice which includes the UK and Irelands largest Rights of Light department. Since joining GIA in 2013, Kevin specialises in creating customised strategies and advisory services for Rights of Light and Daylight & Sunlight matters, working across GIAs London and Irish offices. Notable projects he has worked on include 1 Undershaft and 100 Leadenhall Street in the City of London, Bankside Yards in the London Borough of Southwark, as well as a City-wide Solar PV research study commissioned and published by the Northern Ireland Department for Economy. Kevin holds an LLB (Hons) Law Degree from Queen’s University Belfast.

• Falcon Chambers

Jamie Sutherland was called to the Bar in 2010 and has been at Falcon Chambers ever since. His work covers all areas of commercial and residential landlord and tenant law and real property law. He is a co-editor of the last two editions of Muir Watt and Moss on Agricultural Holdings and his practice includes a substantial amount of litigation and advisory work in agriculture and rural affairs. Over the years, he has come across adverse possession and tenant encroachment in the context of garages, storerooms, car parks and fields.

Ewan Paton has been a full-time Judge of the First-Tier Tribunal, Property Chamber, Land Registration Division since 2021.

He practised for nearly 25 years at the Property and Chancery bar, from Guildhall Chambers in Bristol.

He also previously sat as a fee-paid judge both in the Land Registration Division and in the Residential Property Tribunal Wales. In 2020 he was the co-editor, and is now the sole editor, of Preston & Newsom’s Restrictive Covenants Affecting Freehold Land (12th edition 2024).

In his spare time, he is a keen runner, currently trying to do triathlon without drowning or crashing. He was once a finalist on Mastermind, and also sings in the Bar Choral Society.

• Falcon Chambers

Janet is a barrister at Falcon Chambers and undertakes litigation, arbitration and advisory work in all aspects of real property and landlord and tenant law. She is the co-author of “Megarry & Wade The Law of Real Property” 10th ed. (with Professor Martin Dixon and Professor Nick Hopkins), the author of the last two editions of “Lewison’s Drafting Business Leases”, and co-author of “Registered Land Law and Practice” (with Charles Harpum). Janet was appointed to sit as a Recorder in 2009 and authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge in Chancery, King’s Bench and Circuit Commercial Court work in 2020. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a member of the CIArb President’s Property Dispute Panel, and an invited member of Arbrix. Janet is also an accredited civil and commercial mediator. As a former Chair of the Blundell Lectures Committee, Janet organised the 2019-2023 Blundell Lecture series. She is currently the Vice-Chair of the Chancery Bar Association.

• Falcon Chambers

Catherine Taskis KC is ranked as a leading silk for both Property Litigation and Agriculture and Rural Affairs in the Chambers & Partners Guide and the Legal 500. Described as “an exceptional property litigator”, Catherine specialises in commercial and residential property disputes, with a particular emphasis on agriculture. She is Vice Chair of the Agricultural Law Association and co-author of Muir Watt & Moss: Agricultural Holdings, the 16th edition of which was published in February 2024.

• Mishcon de Reya LLP

Chhavie is a Partner at Mishcon de Reya LLP and leads the rights of light practice. She has particular experience in advising developer clients on minimising the injunction risk associated with rights of light. She has worked on a number of largescale projects including landmark London developments. Her advice is regularly sought out by developers to advise on their schemes.

• Clarke Willmott

Esther Woolford is a partner in Clarke Willmott’s Commercial & Private Client Litigation team with over 20 years’ experience in complex agricultural and property disputes acting predominantly for private clients, landed estate and agri-businesses. She specialises in agricultural and residential tenancies, real property, flooding, proprietary estoppel, farming partnerships, agri-businesses, judicial reviews, contentious trusts and probate and co‑ownership of property, including cases in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. She leads the firm’s Agriculture Sector, heading a large cross‑office team and acting as key relationship partner for the NFU across Somerset, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. Her cases include major, nationally‑reported matters such as Guest v Guest in the Supreme Court.

Esther leads a team of 17 disputes lawyers and is ranked Band 1 in Chambers & Partners for Agriculture & Rural Affairs and is regularly highlighted as a leading litigator with a loyal client following. She is also recognised in The Legal 500 as a Leading Individual, with rankings across Agriculture & Rural Affairs, Commercial Litigation and Contentious Trusts & Probate. The 2025 editions refer to her as “a real force to be reckoned with. She is incredibly bright, organised and strategic. She knows her clients and will make sure she meets their needs” and “an exceptional lawyer who leads a strong team. She is well connected, always on top of the issues facing the agricultural sector, and able to give practical advice to help clients deal with their problems as effectively as possible”.

Alongside being a member of the Property Litigation Association, she is a Fellow of the Agricultural Law Association, a recommended solicitor for the Tenant Farmers Association and trained as a mediator.