Stephen Beresford
- Year called:
- 1976
- Email:
- stephenberesford@ropewalk.co.uk
- Qualifications:
- LLB, University of Birmingham.
- Practice areas:
- Fraudulent Claims, Business and Property, Planning and Environmental, Local Government, Mediation
Stephen Beresford was called to the Bar in 1976.
He is an accredited mediator.
His specialist areas of practice include professional negligence, company, partnership, mercantile, land, secrecy litigation, fraudulent claims, planning and environmental and local government.
Business and Property
His attraction to practically all business related law stems from the wide variety of legal, technical and tactical issues that he encounters.
He frequently appears in the higher courts in work that covers the whole range of business, property and contractual disputes.
As well as in main stream court work his skills as an advocate and an adviser are often used in Inquiries on behalf of substantial companies and in mediations involving claims as diverse as exploding factory power plants, failed investment schemes, corporate fraud and the defective provision of third party educational courses.
He frequently acts in breach of duty claims for and against lawyers, accountants, financial institutions and others as well as in international business disputes on behalf of household name companies.
Other specialist areas include insurance and TPR work; trusts and succession, business break-up disputes (companies, partnerships and the restraint of ex-directors or employees); business tenancy and land development disputes (involving issues such as planning, highways, easements, ransom strips, restrictive covenants and options) as well as individual and corporate insolvency cases.
Mediation
Mediation is a forum in which he is particularly strong, having represented clients in a very large number of business, public authority and property disputes and he heads the Mediation Services team at Ropewalk Chambers.
In addition to appearing on behalf of clients at mediations, he regularly acts as a mediator in a wide range of disputes and brings a wealth of experience to facilitating settlements.
Fraudulent Claims
He has relevant experience of both insurance related and non-insurance related commercial fraud cases, for example a 6 figure case on effects of exaggeration of a claim made under an insurance policy; a large complex case (for the insurer) on fraudulent dealings / insurance agents / personal injury claims / CFA’s; various large cases on employee fraud / conspiracy / theft / forgery etc. and numerous cases involving finding / freezing assets of fraudsters and chasing people who have vanished abroad.
Planning and Environmental
He appears in both civil and criminal courts and in numerous tribunals in work that covers a very wide range of planning and environmental issues, for and against local authorities and businesses or individuals.
Local Government
He is frequently instructed to act for and against local authorities.
Recent cases have involved, for example, several large local government contract and finance disputes, water pollution litigation and related test cases.
As well as in main stream court and tribunal work his skills as an advocate and as an adviser are often used in Inquiries on behalf of local authorities and substantial companies as well as in mediations involving, for example, the defective provision to a major authority of third party educational courses and substantial public authority contractual disputes.
Professional Membership
Professional Negligence Bar Association.
Planning and Environmental Bar Association.
Commercial Bar Association.
Midlands Chancery Bar Association.
Pharmaceutical Ethics Review Committee (legal and voting member).
Testimonials
"Stephen Beresford at Nottingham’s Ropewalk Chambers wins acclaim for his ‘attention to detail’ and ‘fantastic ability to understand clients’. Contract and commercial property disputes keep this junior busy, though he also has particular expertise in mediation."
"At Ropewalk Chambers, Stephen Beresford, who provides ‘clear, crisp and insightful legal advice, which combines technical expertise with commercial awareness’, is a commercial practitioner and regularly sits as a mediator."
Reported Cases
The breadth of Stephen’s commercial experience and practice can be seen from the very wide spectrum of Court of Appeal, Queen’s Bench, Chancery, Mercantile and Lands Tribunal cases in which he has appeared. A selection includes:
Smith v Lingard [2011] Ch D, 22nd February 2011 (Chancery appeal from Adjudicator to HM Lands Registry).
Robot Arenas Ltd v Newton Nottingham LLP & Waterfield [2010] EWHC 115 (QBD) (Leading modern case on the duties of involuntary baillees).
Leicester City Council v Theo Master (LRX 175 2007) Lands Tribunal, 12th December 2008 (Test case on wording in widely used in provisions for local authority leasehold service charge sinking funds).
Sterling Hydraulics Ltd v Dichtomatik Ltd [2007] 1 Lloyd's Rep. 8 (QB) (Effects of counter-offers, limitation clauses, standard forms of contract and the Unfair Contract Terms Act).
Strata Land & Developments Ltd v Jones [2004] EWHC 1965 (Ch) (High value land option dispute involving major issues of credibility as well as complex land law).
Buckenham v Dickinson [2000] W.T.L.R. 1083 (Ch D) (Trial of issues of due execution, capacity, knowledge and undue influence in relation to wills).
Davies v Hardwick [1999] C.L.Y. 4954 (Ch D) (Effect of quasi charitable gifts involving issues of resulting trusts, charitable intention and bona vacantia).
Griffin Credit Services Ltd v ACE Conveyor Equipment Ltd [1999] C.L.Y. 410 (QBD) (General principles applicable to costs on unsuccessful summary judgment applications).
Rushcliffe BC v Watson [1992] 24 H.L.R. 124 C.A. (Local authorities’ powers and duties in relation to possession orders).
Calder v H Kitson Vickers (Engineers) [1988] I.C.R. 232 C.A. (Distinctions between employees and self employed subcontractors in the context of insurers’ liability to respond to personal injury claims).
