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John Williams' Curriculum Vitae

John Williams
Name
John Williams
Qualification
FRICS, MCIArb, MEWI
Specialism
Landlord & Tenant Negotiations
Rental & Dilapidations Valuations
Accredited Expert Witness

Key Skills

  • Over 26 years experience of retail and commercial rent review and lease renewal negotiations
  • Over 21 years experience of Dilapidation Diminution Valuations
  • Extensive experience of other lease dispute negotiations within tenant and landlord portfolios.
  • CUBS Accredited Expert Witness in Court, Arbitration and Expert proceedings
  • Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
  • Fully qualified Arbitrator and Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

Experience

John is the Managing Director of specialist Landlord & Tenant practice, Maple Leaf Property Consultants Limited, and has some 30-years’ experience as a surveyor, initially as an asset and portfolio manager (including for a PLC Investment and Development Company where he was jointly responsible for the performance of a £230M investment portfolio) and for the last 26-years as a specialist dispute resolution surveyor dealing with a wide range of Landlord & Tenant disputes in a variety of roles.

He has over 26-years’ experience of commercial and retail rent reviews, lease renewals and interim rent valuations, including a substantial depth of experience of both arbitration and court proceedings (including PACT) involving not only valuations, but a range of disputed issues including lease length on renewal, updated lease provisions on renewal, landlord's consent disputes and challenges to the operation of break clauses. He has acted on such cases in capacities as an Expert Advisor, an Expert Witness, an Arbitrator and an Independent Expert. He has also been involved in complex Arbitrations involving major procedural issues under both the Arbitration Act 1996 and the prior Arbitration Acts.

He has over 21-years’ experience of assessing the impact of dilapidations on both rental and capital values on a wide range of property types throughout the UK, acting in numerous capacities including as an Expert Advisor, Expert Witness, Single Joint Expert, Neutral Evaluer and Arbitrator/Expert In many of these roles he has been able to call upon a considerable depth of experience to consider not only Diminution in Value, under S18(1) L&TA 1927, but also the liability for, extent of and costing of works in competing claims and counterclaims.

John's client base in all aspects of his work provides a balanced approach, with roughly 60% Tenant and 40% Landlord instructions. In a field where balance and impartiality are key, this mixed client base provides an essential foundation to ensure reliable and unbiased advice, opinion and awards.

John is a Fellow of the RICS and is a qualified arbitrator and Member of The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is a Certified Expert Witness through the Prestigious Cardiff University Law School/Bond Solon Expert Witness Program and is an individual Member of the Expert Witness Institute.

John has been involved in a number of substantial portfolio instructions:-

  • Between 2002 and 2004 he was the lead surveyor for the valuation, consolidation and expansion of the East and West Midlands’ portfolio for CAFCASS, including negotiating new acquisitions, premises refits, surrenders and dilapidations.
  • In 2000 he undertook the valuation of the South West portfolio for the Oil & Pipeline Agency.
  • Between 1999 and 2000 he was the lead surveyor for the valuation of the Probation Service’s South West and South Wales regional portfolios.
  • In 1999 he was responsible for the valuation of Barclays Bank’s ‘Central South’ operational portfolio.
  • Between 1997 and 1998 he was one of two surveyors responsible for the valuation of the Wales and West England region of the MOD portfolio.

Prior to establishing Maple Leaf John was one of two senior asset managers for a PLC investment and development company with holdings throughout the UK, responsible for:-

  • The performance of a £230 million investment portfolio including retail (retail park, shopping centre and high street), office and industrial properties,
  • The management of an occupational portfolio of over 100 retail and office premises for subsidiary companies
  • the management and development of two operational airports’ terminals.

In particular he was responsible for the provision of Landlord & Tenant advice in relation to rent reviews, lease renewals and dilapidation valuations across the national portfolios.

Prior to this John was a Divisional Management Surveyor with the Welsh Development Agency responsible for all aspects of an allocated portfolio of office and industrial estates, including lettings, reviews/renewals, investment disposals and the coordination of maintenance/repair/dilapidation disputes, including diminution valuations.