Rachel Croft

Rachel is a partner and solicitor advocate, within the corporate commercial and real estate teams of the firm, specialising in real estate disputes.

Rachel trained with Hammonds (now Squire Patton Boggs), qualifying as a solicitor of England and Wales in September 2007. She joined the London office of leading litigation firm Herbert Smith Freehills upon qualification, where she remained for the next ten years. Rachel’s previous firm is known for its focus on large-scale, complex, high-value commercial real estate disputes. Rachel has acted on multiple high-profile real estate disputes in the high court and lands tribunal, as well as various county court disputes. She has extensive experience in general commercial disputes which involve real estate assets, such as breach of contract and misrepresentation claims.

Rachel’s practice encompasses the full spectrum of real estate disputes, with substantial experience of development work, major public infrastructure projects and resulting compulsory purchase compensation claims. She has acted on vacant possession issues, service charge disputes, dilapidations claims, restrictive covenant issues, rent reviews, renewal of business tenancies and professional negligence matters. Rachel deals with many matters from start to finish, providing strategic input at the pre-action stage with a view to avoiding litigation where possible and has extensive experience of preparing cases for mediation, to assist clients in settling cases without the costs and uncertainties of trial.

Rachel qualified as a solicitor advocate in 2010, with full rights of audience to act on matters in the higher courts.

Rachel is ranked by Chambers and Partners, with clients stating that she “takes the initiative on what needs to be done” and “makes every effort to help”.

Legal 500 lists Rachel as a ‘Recommended Associate’, with clients describing her as “highly competent” and “very able and diligent”.

Main areas of expertise

  • development disputes
  • service charge issues
  • rent review
  • dilapidations
  • break clauses
  • landlord and tenant disputes

Types of clients that Rachel works with

  • developers
  • pension funds
  • REITs
  • landowners
  • GP practices
  • NHS trusts

Qualifications

  • Solicitor Advocate (2010)
  • Legal Practice Course, York (2004)
  • Law LL.B (Hons.), University of Exeter (2003)

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Managing disagreements around discharge arrangements

Hospitals across the country are coming under increasing pressure as a result of the current winter crisis. NHS Providers has written to Jeremy Hunt to outline concerns that the NHS does not have sufficient beds or staff to manage the volume of required admissions. The need for Trusts to promptly discharge patients who are well enough to leave hospital has never been more intense.

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