David Hitchcock, Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution

• Guildford

• Business Law
• Dispute Resolution

• David Hitchcock
  Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution
• Office:  Guildford
• Department: 
• D: 01483 752816
  F: 01483 752899
  T: 01483 752700
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David is a solicitor who specialises in commercial litigation and property litigation. He advises a broad range of clients, from private individuals to multi-national businesses, including SMEs, property developers and the firm's large portfolio of property clientele. David is praised by his clients for taking care to provide a quality service, and combining a forensic approach with commercial and practical awareness.

Experience

David has over 15 years’ of practice and considerable experience covering a wide range of dispute resolution and litigation cases, including all types of business and commercial claims, property litigation, intellectual property disputes and complex lending dispute work.

David is often trusted to act for his clients on multiple issues across the range of this expertise, including business clients looking for trusted advisors to help with repeat issues, or those complex claims spanning different legal specialisms.

Property experience

All aspects of residential property litigation and commercial property litigation, including:

• Contested and uncontested Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 business tenancy renewal claims

• Commercial and residential landlord and tenant disputes

• Dilapidations and disrepair claims

• Forfeiture and relief from forfeiture claims

• Complex disputes concerning the ownership of property and trusts

• Disputes over property contracts, including claims for specific performance and misrepresentation

• Construction disputes; and

• Disputes over rights of way, easements and restrictive covenants

Commercial Litigation experience

A wide range of commercial litigation experience, including:

• Director, shareholder and partnership disputes and Companies Act claims, including unfair prejudice and derivative claims

• Commercial and contract disputes, including supply & distribution contracts, breach of warranty and indemnity claims and claims against guarantors

• Fraud, asset tracing and freezing injunctions

• Finance disputes and the enforcement of security

• Insolvency litigation, both corporate and personal

• Breach of contract claims;

• Loan enforcement, including receivership and administration; and

• Intellectual property disputes.

Approach

David tries to address any dispute resolution issue with speed and efficiency, and understands that clients not only want sound advice on their legal rights, but practical and sensible options to allow them to invest their resources elsewhere. David is experienced in all forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), including arbitration, adjudication, expert determination and mediation, as well as claims at all levels of the Court system.

David is a notable practitioner, ranked in Chambers 2022 and has been recommended in six editions of The Legal 500. He is a Partner and Head of the Dispute Resolution team, based at the firm’s Guildford office. David studied Law at the University of Leicester and completed his LPC at the College of Law in Guildford. He is a member of the Property Litigation Association.

David is a keen sportsman and especially enjoys playing football when his young family allows. He rides his motorbike to work most days, and sometimes uses pedal power when the stars align.

Recognition

Recommended for commercial litigation
  The Legal 500 - 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2017, 2016

Notable Practitioner – Chambers UK Guide 2022