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Rob Shaw

Partner
About

Rob Shaw is a skilled Real Estate Litigator, with a practice that covers all areas of commercial real estate litigation.

He has experience at all levels of the court and tribunal system, ranging from the Supreme Court to the County Court and First-Tier Tribunal, as well as a substantial arbitration and growing mediation practice.

He spends substantial time working collaboratively with colleagues in DLA Piper's transactional, planning, construction and environmental law teams, to provide practical and realistic commercial advice and solutions to clients across a range of sectors.

Rob has a particular experience in advising on utilities agreements and in particular the implications of the Electronic Communications Code. He also pays close attention to technology developments in the Real Estate sector and has a particular interest in the growing PropTech sector and the legal implications of the development of: Blockchain technology; Smart/Connected Buildings; and the impact of the Internet of Things on real estate.

EXPERIENCE

Rob's key clients include: corporate occupiers; property developers; investors; infrastructure operators; and private equity funds.

His practice includes disputes and advice relating to:

  • development and sale / purchase contracts;
  • easements and restrictive covenants;
  • boundary and title issues;
  • possession actions;
  • contested and unopposed business lease renewals;
  • rent reviews;
  • dilapidations;
  • break options;
  • debt recovery;
  • service charge disputes; and
  • forfeiture actions.

Key deals

  • Advising a significant rail infrastructure provider on all real estate litigation aspects of a new high railway network spanning the north and south of England in conjunction with colleagues across transactional real estate, planning and construction law teams.
  • Acting for a large commercial property management, development and investment company in proceedings before the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal regarding its liability for business rates of vacant commercial premises.
  • Acting for a substantial corporate occupier in the transport sector on the contested termination of a lease of their former head office building.
  • Successfully acting on behalf of a leading supermarket client in an arbitration dispute related to an income guarantee clause in an agreement with a car park operator and breaches of the car park agreement by the operator.
  • Advising a leading manufacturer of high-technology heating products in relation to a common-law and statutory noise nuisance claim against neighbouring landowners and occupiers.
  • Successfully acting for a prominent UK department store chain in relation to a boundary dispute and trespass claim against neighbouring occupiers (together with all other portfolio work).
  • Advising a national infrastructure provider on the interpretation of and enforcing completion of a sale contract for substantial redevelopment site and in relation to applications to the Land Registry and Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) for registering previously unregistered sites.
  • Acting for the UK's leading solid fuel distributor in relation to conditional break options and advising on significant dilapidations claims (involving diminution in value defences under s.18 Landlord and Tenant Act 1927).
  • Advising telecommunications code operators and land owners on statutory rights granted pursuant to the Electronic Communications Code.
  • Advising a supplier of heavy building materials and aggregates with a portfolio of over 60 quarries in the UK in relation to all portfolio management and real estate litigation work.
Languages
  • English
Education
  • College of Law, York, LLB Hons, First Class, 2007
  • University of Sheffield, BA Hons, Business, 2005

Awards

Rob is recognised as a Next Generation Lawyer and Rising Star in property litigation by Legal 500 (in both 2019 and 2020) and is quoted as "one of the best technical landlord and tenant solicitors", "a name to note" and "well regarded".

Additional Qualifications

  • Education & Training Committee - Property Litigation Association
  • Chair, Property Litigation Association, Northern Region

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Property Litigation Association

Connect

Phone

+44 114 283 3312
(Work, Sheffield)
+44 773 829 6114
(Work, Birmingham)