Bridging and Development Finance Litigation
Our Bridging and Development Finance Litigation services are delivered by a specialist team within our wider Litigation department, working alongside our Real Estate and Corporate Recoveries & Insolvency teams where needed.
We act for lenders and borrowers across the full spectrum of bridging and development finance disputes. Whether you’re drafting and stress-testing finance documents, pursuing a defaulting borrower, or enforcing a judgment, our team works to protect your position and recover what’s yours, efficiently and at every stage. Practical and commercially grounded – focused on outcomes, not overheads.
This isn’t an area we dabble in. Bridging and development finance disputes are unregulated, fast-moving and can escalate quickly, and they call for lawyers who handle this work day in, day out rather than picking it up alongside a broader caseload. Our team works exclusively in this space, for lenders and borrowers alike, and brings a level of insight that comes only from being immersed in it.
Our previous clients include some of the biggest names in bridging and development lending, alongside property developers, investors and funders.
Areas of expertise:
- Finance contracts and documentation
- Action against defaulters
- Claims at court
- Enforcement and recovery
Key Services:
When finance goes wrong, it is often because of defective documents. No one scrutinises a contract like a litigator. Drawing on real-world experience of how these disputes actually unfold, we draft and stress-test finance documents with litigation in mind, because identifying the gaps before they’re exploited is far better than dealing with the fallout after.
When borrowers mismanage projects or overrun agreed extensions, arrears, charges and default interest can escalate quickly. We understand the defences and delay tactics commonly used in this area, and our approach is direct and strategic, focused on swift outcomes that maximise recovery.
If a dispute reaches court, our litigators bring extensive experience of the Business and Property Courts and work closely with leading property barristers. At every stage, we take a pragmatic, commercially minded approach, positioning our clients for the best available outcome at the right cost.
Winning a case is one thing; recovering the money is another. Our dedicated enforcement arm can enforce charges, secure charging orders on property, obtain orders for sale and pursue guarantors. The goal is straightforward: to reunite you with what you’re owed, as quickly as possible.
We understand the pressures that come with development and construction. Whether the issue is delay, defect or a wider dispute with a contractor or supply chain, we’re well placed to protect your position with insight built from years of working in this space.
We also work closely with our specialist Commercial Real Estate team, who support clients on acquisitions, disposals, leases, landlord and tenant matters and property disputes – meaning transactional and contentious advice can be delivered seamlessly, under one roof, for developers and funders alike.
Key Individual
Carl leads our Bridging and Development Finance Litigation team and has worked as a finance litigator for well over a decade, both pursuing and defending claims for some of the most prominent bridging and development lenders in the market. Before qualifying as a solicitor, Carl worked in property investment and development himself, including renovating and selling properties, so he understands these deals from the inside, not just from a textbook.
That background means Carl can act credibly for both lenders and borrowers, having seen the same issues from each side of the table. He’s worked directly with high-profile figures and firms across the bridging and development finance world, and that experience shapes a style that’s practical, direct and grounded in how these disputes actually play out, rather than how they look on paper.
Carl’s view is straightforward: litigation isn’t just something you turn to when a deal has already gone wrong. Getting a litigator’s eye on a contract early, before money changes hands, is often what prevents a dispute from happening at all. It’s an approach that has made him a trusted, go-to contact for lenders and borrowers who want to deal with risk before it becomes a claim.
Bridging and Development Finance Litigation FAQs
We act for both lenders and borrowers across the full range of bridging and development finance disputes. This includes drafting and stress-testing finance contracts, pursuing borrowers who have defaulted on their obligations, taking claims through to court where necessary, and enforcing judgments to recover what our clients are owed. We also advise on related construction disputes, from contractor issues to supply chain disputes.
Defective documentation is one of the most common causes of disputes escalating. A litigator scrutinises a contract differently to a transactional lawyer, because they’re the ones who have to attack or defend it if things go wrong. Our team draws on real experience of how these disputes play out to identify the gaps and pitfalls in finance documents before they can be exploited.
When borrowers mismanage a project, overrun agreed extensions, or fall into arrears, the figures involved can escalate quickly through default interest, charges and penalties. We understand the tactics often used to delay or deflect in these situations, and we take a direct, strategic approach focused on recovering value as efficiently as possible.
Our litigators have extensive experience in the Business and Property Courts and work closely with leading property barristers. We take a pragmatic approach throughout, aimed at the best outcome at a sensible cost. Where enforcement is required, our dedicated team can pursue charges, charging orders, orders for sale and personal guarantors, with the focus firmly on recovering what’s owed.
Yes. We work alongside our specialist Commercial Real Estate team, who support clients with acquisitions, disposals, leases, landlord and tenant matters and property disputes. This means clients get transactional and contentious advice from one firm, which is particularly useful for developers, funders and lenders managing both sides of a deal.
