Ashley Thompson

Call: 2023

Ashley is a specialist property barrister whose practice encompasses all aspects of real property, and landlord and tenant law.

Contact Practice Managers

LinkedIn profile

Shortlist

Download CV

Property

Rating and Valuation

Property

Ashley specialises in commercial, residential and agricultural property law. He has a busy practice advising and representing both landlords and tenants, drawing on his previous experience as a solicitor in the City. Alongside Ashley’s property practice, he is actively building a practice in rating law.

Owing to his time as a solicitor, Ashley has significant experience in residential (both s. 8 and s. 21) and commercial possession proceedings (tenants and trespassers); forfeiture (by peaceable re-entry and proceedings); land registration; the renewal of business tenancies under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954; lease extensions under both the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 and the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993; nuisance claims; excessive use of easements; restrictive covenants; claims under the Trust of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996; insolvency and bankruptcy; and rights of common.

Ashley particularly enjoys advising on the more niche areas of property law (e.g., rights of first refusal, riparian rights, bona vacantia and escheat, and common land), and the challenge of exploring unchartered territory.

In 2018, Ashley joined Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, where he trained and qualified as a solicitor. His practice was broad, covering commercial, banking and private client litigation. His career subsequently pivoted into property litigation, which led to his move to Mishcon de Reya LLP. Ashley’s focus became commercial and high-value residential property litigation.

Whilst in law firms, Ashley was involved in significant pieces of litigation. For example, Ludgate House Ltd v Ricketts [2021] 1 WLR 1750; the Post Office litigation; and Zaid Alothman Holdings Ltd & 75 others v Better Intelligent Management Ltd & Phoenix Place (Liverpool) Management Limited (County Court at Central London – 7 May 2024).

Following his time as a solicitor, Ashley was a judicial assistant in the High Court to Mr Justice Zacaroli (as he then was), Mr Justice Fancourt and Mr Justice Adam Johnson.

Ashley is committed to pro bono work. During his training contract, he spent six months on secondment to the AIRE Centre, providing advice to EEA nationals on their human rights and assisting with third party interventions in the High Court and Court of Appeal.

From 2018 to 2022, Ashley was a leading member of the team in Boodram v Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago [2022] UKPC 20, in which the Judicial Committee held that the automatic imposition of life imprisonment upon commutation of a prisoner’s death sentence was contrary to the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago. Ashley later went on to draft submissions to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on behalf of one of the prisoners in Bissoon and Serrette v The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Series C No. 472, which resulted in a judgment against the State.

Rating and Valuation

Alongside Ashley’s property practice, he is actively building a practice in rating law. His recent experience includes representing individuals and companies in enforcement proceedings brought by local authorities in the magistrates’ courts (concerning both council tax and business rates liability), and advising on the Check, Challenge, Appeal process.