John William CV

LL.M, FRICS, FCIArb, FEWI

Specialisms:

Rent Reviews & Lease Renewals
Dilapidations Disputes
Accredited Expert Witness
Arbitrator, Expert & Neutral Evaluer

Key Experience

  • Over 30 years’ experience of retail, office and industrial rent review/lease renewal negotiations

  • Over 25 years’ experience of Dilapidation Disputes and Diminution Valuations

  • Extensive experience of other lease disputes within both tenant and landlord portfolios

  • Over 25 years’ experience of Arbitration and Independent Expert proceedings

  • Experienced Arbitrator in Rent Review, PACT and Dilapidations Disputes

  • Qualified Arbitrator and member of RICS arbitrator panels for both rent and non-rent disputes

  • Highly experienced and Certified Expert Witness

Key Qualifications

  • Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

  • Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

  • Fellow of the Expert Witness Institute

  • Accredited Expert Witness, holding:

    • the Cardiff University Law School Bond Solon Expert Witness Civil Certificate (2009)

    • the Bond Solon Civil Procedure Rules for Expert Witnesses Certificate (2011)

Experience

John is a highly experienced L&T negotiator, with over 30 years’ experience of retail and commercial rent reviews, lease renewals and interim rent disputes on behalf of both landlords and tenants. He has 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, various updated lease provisions on renewal and Schedule 6 Compensation under Landlord & Tenant Act 1954. He has acted on such cases in capacities as an Expert Advisor, an Expert Witness a Single Joint Expert and anArbitrator/Independent Expert.

John has over 25-years’ experience of assessing dilapidations claims and diminution valuations on a wide range of property types throughout the UK, but with a substantial involvement in such claims relating to retail premises in both town centre and suburban high street locations. Within Gloucestershire and along the M3 Corridor, he has also been involved in claims for large offices in both town centre and office park locations. He has acted in numerous capacities including as an Expert Advisor, Expert Witness, Neutral Evaluer and Arbitrator/Independent Expert. John’s instructions have involved applying a considerable depth of experience to evaluate and determine contractual claims, based on liability for and cost of works, as well as complex issues of mitigation and supersession, under common law principles and S18(1) Landlord & Tenant Act 1927, and undertaking and evaluating diminution valuations under S18(1).

John is a certified expert witness, through the prestigious Cardiff University/Bond Solon Expert Witness program, holding both their Expert Witness Civil Certificate and their Civil Procedure Rules for Expert Witnesses Certificate. John is a Fellow of the Expert Witness Institute.

John has a Masters Diploma in Arbitration and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators as well as a member of the RICS President’s Panel of Arbitrators for both rent and non-rent disputes, the latter being by particular reference to Lease Renewal PACT disputes and Dilapidations disputes. He has also been appointed in cases involving the disputed exercise of break options and disputes concerning the withholding of landlord consent under lease clauses.

John's client base 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.

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

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, in conjunction with Building Surveyors, the coordination of maintenance/repair/dilapidation disputes, including the assessment of diminution.

Expert Witness Training

John has undergone the following Expert Witness Training:-

  • Excellence in Report Writing (Bond Solon)

  • Courtroom Skills (Bond Solon)

  • Cross Examination Day (Bond Solon)

  • Civil Law and Proceedure (Bond Solon)

  • Civil Procedure Rules for Expert Witnesses Web Learning (Bond Solon) 2010 - 2019, 2021 - 2022

  • Concurrent Expert Evidence Training (Bond Solon)

  • Expert Witness Meetings & Joint Statements (Expert Witness Institute) 2022 - 2023

  • Bond Solon Annual Expert Witness Conferences 2010 -2020

  • Expert Witness Institute Conference 2022`