Overview

Overview

Joseph has a broad chancery practice, with a particular interest in property litigation and trusts.

Property 

Joseph accepts instructions across the full span of property law. He has significant experience of possession claims and has appeared in two High Court appeals on forfeiture. He has strength in landlord and tenant cases.

Joseph is particularly interested in cases which involve issues of beneficial interests. He also regularly advises on real property matters such as mortgages and easements.

Probate, wills and trusts 

Joseph accepts instructions in contentious and non-contentious probate. He has advised on the construction of wills and on the misuse of trust and estate property. He has also acted in administration proceedings and applications to remove executors.

Joseph has acted on many cases involving proprietary estoppel and alleging common intention constructive trusts.

He has experience of the link between possession cases and trusts, having been instructed on several cases where possession actions have trust-based defences and counterclaims.

Business and commercial chancery

Joseph acts in relation to company and partnership disputes. He has been instructed in High Court unfair prejudice and civil fraud matters.

Joseph has appeared in the County Courts and the Insolvency and Companies Court in insolvency matters. He recently defeated attempts to extort a client and their associates for £1,225,000 and £1,950,000 respectively.

He regularly advises on contracts and commercial chancery issues which arise from them. With his property experience he is particularly well-suited to cases involving mortgages and secured lending.

Cases of interest

Sheppey Beach Villas Ltd v McCloughey [2026] EWHC 647 (Ch): An appeal on the meaning of a house for the purposes of leasehold enfranchisement, and on whether section 168 Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 applies to holiday lets.

Re A: A combined equity of redemption and vendor-purchaser summons case. The purchaser went into possession on the basis of the sale agreement a year before completion. The seller then refused to complete and the existing mortgagee would not co-operate.

Re H: A complex possession claim involving administration of charities and a dispute as to the proper title of trustees.

Wagner v Sara: A five-day trial for nuisance based on building works in a block of flats. Joseph succeeded at trial for the Claimants. The case received national press attention.

B v M: A three-day encroachment and proprietary estoppel trial.

Pincus v Singh [2024] EWHC 502 (Ch): A Chancery Division case about the remedies available following default judgment and the meaning of abandoning other relief. It was the first case on CPR12.4 since 2011.

Various v S: Acting for the landlord in a mediation of a claim brought by 16 current and former tenants for breach of covenant.

Re a Debtor: Joseph represented clients in the Insolvency and Companies Court, obtaining injunctions restraining vexatious claims said to be valued at £1,225,000 and £1,950,000 respectively. The case involved issues of inherent jurisdiction and attempts to use the insolvency procedures to extort and harass Joseph’s clients. As part of this, Joseph obtained final injunctions against persons unknown pursuing the alleged debts to prevent the use of sham assignments.

Newman v Hertfordshire County Council: Joseph represented the Defendant in a one-day hearing before HHJ Pearce sitting as a deputy judge of the High Court. He successfully had twelve of the Claimants’ thirteen arguments struck out or had summary judgment entered against them. Joseph later successfully defended the remaining negligence case in a three-day trial.

Re D: Advising on the merits of relief from forfeiture in a case where the bailiffs discovered that the tenant had died during execution of the possession order and there was no person capable of applying for relief for a considerable time.

Southern Housing v Watts: four-day trial for contempt of court featuring discrimination and public sector equality duty defences. The matter also dealt with the consequences of a contemnor’s death on proceedings after trial but before judgment.

The Geek Taverna Limited and Penge v Khan: Application for permission to appeal in the Chancery Division. The Appellant alleged that the right to forfeit had been waived by various acts, including commercial rent arrears recovery. Joseph successfully argued for the Respondent that there was no real prospect of success and that the forfeiture was valid. He also defeated other criticisms of the Defendant’s money judgment in a dilapidation counterclaim.

Uddin v Uddin [2022] EWFC 75: Joseph acted for the intervenors in matrimonial finance proceedings, successfully defending the trust claims brought against them in a five-day trial.

Education

  • BA Hons First Class, University of Nottingham, 2016 
  • Graduate Diploma in Law, City, University of London, 2017 
  • LLM Bar Professional Training, City, University of London, 2018 

Membership

  • Commercial Bar Association (COMBAR) 
  • Property Bar Association 
  • Chancery Bar Association 

Awards and prizes

  • Inner Temple BPTC Exhibition Award 
  • Winner of the Inner Temple Rawlinson Cup Debating Competition, 2019 
  • Winner of the UKELA Lord Slynn of Hadley Moot, 2018 
  • Highly Commended, Andrew Lees Essay Prize, 2017 

Publications

  • ‘Waiver of forfeiture, continuous breaches and section 146 notices’ L. & T. Review 2025, 29(6), 227-231