Anti-Social Behaviour
Alex excels in complex anti-social behaviour claims. Alex is regularly instructed in possession claims involving antisocial behaviour and in claims for injunctions under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. Alex acts in multi-day trials involving antisocial behaviour and has considerable experience of claims involving large numbers of allegations and large numbers of witnesses. Alex is a skilled trial advocate and is accomplished at the effective cross-examination of witnesses.
Alex regularly appears in antisocial behaviour trials which involve defendants with mental health issues and arguments around a defendant’s mental capacity. Alex is regularly instructed in anti-social behaviour claims which raise issues of disability discrimination and the Equality Act 2010; Alex’s public law experience makes him extremely well-placed to deal with such issues in complex cases and clients value Alex’s ability to address such issues skilfully at short notice.
Alex has experience of anti-social behaviour cases in the Youth Court and is familiar with the particular issues which arise in cases involving persons under 18.
Community Care / Court of Protection
Alex is regularly instructed in community care claims involving adults as well as children. Alex is regularly instructed to advise and act in judicial review claims arising under the Children Act 1989. In claims involving adults, Alex has extensive experience of claims which involve adults who may lack mental capacity both in the Court of Protection as well as in the County Court and High Court. Alex is valued not only for his knowledge of the law in this area but for his sensitive and tactful approach to such cases.
Alex has been involved in claims involving foreign nationals who have no recourse to public funds both on an advisory basis and in litigation. He is very familiar with the legal issues involved and is adept at arguing them.
Education
Alex is regularly instructed in education law matters, in particular special educational needs challenges before the First-tier Tribunal (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber). He also regularly acts in school admissions and school exclusions challenges and has experience of acting as an advocate in such appeals as well as clerking them and advising their members on the law. Alex is currently involved in ongoing proceedings before the Upper Tribunal in a special educational needs challenge against a leading QC.
Alex regularly delivers training for local authorities in education law.
Housing
In the social housing field, Alex regularly acts in a wide variety of claims, including complex and multi-day possession claims, disrepair claims, injunction applications, committal hearings and appeals. Alex’s considerable experience in public law gives him a particular expertise in cases with a public law element, including Equality Act and discrimination arguments and human rights issues. Alex regularly advises and acts in homelessness appeals and in litigation concerning housing allocations policies including at High Court level.
Local Government
Local government law forms a major part of Alex’s practice and Alex’s background in public law makes him well-placed to advise and to act in litigation involving local authorities. Alex is currently instructed in a number of ongoing judicial review claims in the High Court concerning housing allocations and HMO licensing and he has recently been involved in a successful appeal to the Court of Appeal arising out of a HMO licensing judicial review.
Real Property
Alex regularly acts in claims involving landlord and tenant work (both residential and commercial) as well as more traditional real property work.
Alex has been instructed in trials concerning service charges, boundary disputes, adverse possession and rectification of deeds. He regularly advises and acts in claims involving mortgages, including claims which involve allegations of fraud. Alex has experience of cases involving registered and unregistered land and is happy to be instructed in both. Alex is experienced in, and happy to accept instructions in, litigation involving forfeiture, surrender and consents (such as withholding of consent to assignment and withholding of consent to carry out alterations). He accepts instructions in litigation involving easements, restrictive covenants, party walls and neighbour disputes.
Public Law
Public law, equality and human rights feature heavily in Alex’s cases and cut across much of his work. He is able to complement a strong academic background in the fields of public law and human rights with extensive practical experience and knowledge of these fields. Alex’s public law practice sees him regularly instructed in judicial review matters in the High Court.
Alex has extensive experience of discrimination and equalities law and has argued discrimination cases before the High Court as well as the First-tier Tribunal and County Court.
Alexander has considerable experience in making urgent applications to the High Court including out of hours applications. He is familiar with the procedure and ethical obligations which are central to these sorts of applications and has been praised by judges for his clarity and succinctness in making such applications. Given the urgency and strict time limits in many judicial review claims, Alex prides himself on being able to turn around complex instructions to short deadlines.
Additionally, Alex has experience in welfare benefits matters in the First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal and has also assisted in judicial review and Court of Appeal cases concerning social welfare and benefits.
Alex has experience of public procurement litigation and has assisted with procurement challenges both in the High Court and at appellate level. He has assisted government departments and local authorities in procurement challenges and is experienced in the aspects of European Union law which public procurement involves. Alex has previously been instructed as a junior by the Ministry of Defence in arbitration proceedings relating to a multi-million pound dispute and has advised in major public procurement litigation concerning the closure of libraries across an English county.
Regulatory
Alex has experience of regulatory matters, having recently succeeded in a High Court appeal against a decision of a regulatory body striking off a medical professional and having recently appeared in multi-day proceedings before the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Public Access
