Starting a training contract can feel like a significant leap from your previous experiences, with a new environment, new systems to learn and new teams to get to know. It can feel overwhelming at first but also very exciting! You have worked very hard to get to this point and so you want to make your mark as you take this next step in your legal career. To make a meaningful impact, you need to consider how you can establish yourself both internally and externally and I have outlined below what I have learnt during the course of my training contract.

Joining a local committee or professional group

You should do some research on what committees and/or groups are present in your area. Many are run by junior professionals that host networking events, fun activities and socials.

During my training contract, I have acted as the Bristol Junior Lawyers Division Committee’s (BJLD) Health & Wellbeing Officer. This role has presented me with the opportunity to not only attend these events but also the benefit of hosting them within the local community. For example, I recently organised our annual Summer Boat Party which enabled me to vastly expand my professional network across multiple law firms and professional sectors through organising and marketing the event. As I was relatively new to Bristol at the time, it also helped me to build a social group of new friends and gave me opportunities to explore the city.

Internal and external events

There are many networking opportunities that are present within your place of work. A good first step is to ask colleagues what events they are involved in and how you can take part. For example, in my Corporate seat, I became regularly involved in the monthly run club and Bristol NextGen networking events that Michelmores co-host with Deloitte. These were informal, fun and relaxed ways to meet professionals from different companies and sectors within the local area. It is important to cultivate the connections you make and build a network both internally and externally as those same people may end up acting on the same transaction as you, help create an introduction to a new client or help facilitate further connections to grow your network, enabling you to build a rapport that can benefit you for the rest of your career.

Extra-curricular activities

You can also expand your network outside of a professional setting. If you have a particular interest or hobby, you should see whether there are any local clubs or groups that you can join to meet new people. I play for Bristol Volleyball club, and I meet many working professionals in areas such as law, finance and architecture and we keep each other informed of various news and developments within our industries and invite each other to events that we host.

If you hold a committee position or host an event that aligns with such interest or hobby, you can also tap into that pool of contacts that you’ve built. For example, in my BJLD role, I organised a volleyball event in collaboration with Bristol Young Professionals, which enabled me to use the network I had established from my involvement in the Bristol Volleyball Club to expand the reach of our event, leading to a highly attended and successful event.

Be proactive

If there is a subject or activity that you are passionate about, don’t be afraid to be proactive and put on an event or start a new group within your firm. When I first joined Michelmores, I noticed that we didn’t have a Music club and so I decided to make one and the Michelmores Music Club has grown ever since. This has been a great way to network with people who are passionate about the topic of music and has even resulted in us going to gigs together and sharing song recommendations.

This proactivity presented an opportunity whereby a Partner of the firm recruited me to play in the Michelmores Band at our annual firm ball. This was an excellent opportunity for me to connect with colleagues over a shared passion and exponentially expand my internal network, particularly as I had only recently joined the firm at the time.

Article writing

Throughout a training contract, trainees are encouraged to get involved in writing articles and contribute towards the trainee blog. You can use various resources such as Practical Law and Lexis Nexis to keep informed of any developments within your practice area. Again, you can be proactive and write articles on these topics whilst also showing your personality. This helps develop your own technical knowledge of the practice area whilst also enabling you to create publicly available material for the firm’s website. This creates opportunities in which you can build a personal brand externally and reach an audience that you might not otherwise reach, potentially leading to opportunities to build your network even further.

Be yourself

It is important to identify your skills, strengths and values and know how to effectively convey them. Throughout my career, I have honed a personal brand of being enthusiastic, positive and reflective of my legal journey. Due to the reach of my content on platforms such as LinkedIn, I regularly receive messages and emails from aspiring solicitors seeking mentorship and advice on how they can navigate their own legal journey.

I have built a consistent brand from continuously sharing my experiences, milestones and highlights, including showing gratitude to all those that I networked with along the way, opening many opportunities. For example, I posted a reflective retrospective of my milestones this year on LinkedIn, including a summary of the events I attended during this time. One of these events was the Law Society Bicentenary Celebration event and the Law Society saw my post, congratulated me on my milestones and wished me all the best in my legal career. Later that day, the Law Society messaged me asking to collaborate on a media piece about my graduate solicitor apprenticeship journey.

Conclusion

There are many opportunities that you can utilise to put yourself out there throughout your training contract, both internally and externally. This period in your career is an excellent opportunity to learn from those around you and grow your professional network as much as you can. I have significantly benefitted from the networking and personal brand building that I have done so far during my training contract and would encourage others in a similar position to put themselves out there as it will greatly benefit you in both the short term and long term.

If you would like to build your own network, please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn here and reach out if you have any questions on the contents of this blog or any networking opportunities at Michelmores.

Michelmores is delighted to confirm the final speaker line-up for its upcoming Consumer Brands Horizons Summit, taking place on Thursday 25 September 2025 at 100 Liverpool Street, London.

This exclusive half-day event brings together founders, business leaders, and industry advisors from across the consumer brands sector to explore the theme: From Start-Up to Scale-Up: Strategies for Consumer Brand Success.

Confirmed speakers include leaders from TikTok Shop, L.E.K. Consulting, Mindful Chef, HaysMac, Superb Media, and Michelmores LLP. Sessions will focus on growth strategies, disruption, and the rapidly evolving retail landscape.

Among the key contributors is George Meagher, Head of FMCG International at TikTok Shop, who will speak alongside Superb Media’s Matt Blay and Ashley Hoare on the rise of social commerce and how brands are using content and community to drive direct sales and Jonathan Simmons and Jan Schneiderbanger from LEK Consulting, specialists in retail and consumer brands.

The Summit, led by David Thompson, Partner at Michelmores will also feature:

Programme highlights

Omnichannel Strategies for a Disruptive World

9:05am – Jonathan Simmons and Jan Schneiderbanger, Retail Consultants, L.E.K. Consulting

• How technology continues to reshape retail
• Responding to cost pressures and margin squeeze
• Adapting to a changing customer base with shifting values and expectations

A Founder’s Experience of Scaling a D2C Business from Start-Up to Exit

9:30am – Rob Grieg-Gran, Founder, Mindful Chef

In conversation with Harry Trick, Partner at Michelmores.

Thriving in Turbulence: Business Strategies, Challenges and Opportunities for Retail & Consumer Brands

10:20am – Panel from HaysMac

Featuring:

• Natasha Frangos, Managing Partner
• Sabina Burke, Director & Co-Head of Creative, Media & Technology
• Per-Olof Ahlstrom, Head of RAAS
• Lotte Williams, Head of Retail & eCommerce

Social Commerce and the Rise of TikTok Shop

10:50am

• Matt Blay, CEO, Superb Media
• Ashley Hoare, Head of Customer Success, Superb Media
• George Meagher, Head of FMCG International, TikTok Shop

Legal Essentials for Consumer Brands

11:20am – Michelmores Partners, Anne Todd, Charlotte Bolton, Iain Connor and Robert Forsyth.

A practical session on navigating IP, HR, and AI risks in fast-moving consumer markets, featuring Michelmores lawyers Iain Connor, Charlotte Bolton, Robert Forsyth, and Anne Todd.

Event details

Date: Thursday 25 September 2025

Time: 09:00 – 12:00 (with refreshments and networking from 08:30)

Location: Michelmores LLP, 100 Liverpool Street, London EC2M 2AT

Remaining spaces are limited – book now to avoid disappointment.

Michelmores’ Consumer Brands team supports UK and international clients in scaling their businesses, navigating regulatory landscapes, and building successful brands. To learn more, visit our website.

I am a keen reader – but if I’m being honest, I’ve never really been able to commit to any non-fiction (unless it’s a cook book). In the build-up to the start of my training contract, however, my partner noticed how apprehensive I was getting about starting a professional career (I had a previous career in travel) and he challenged me to explore some self-help theory, to see if it could help.

Suffice to say, he was right. The self-help books I’ve read have provided me with multiple tools I’ve put to good use throughout my training contract – and also in my personal life. So much so, that I thought it was worth sharing some of the top tips from my three favourite self-help books because they genuinely have helped me, and could help others entering the legal world. Please take this all with a pinch of salt; I appreciate life is not as simplistic as many of these concepts reduce it to. If even the essence can help someone in a similar position however, then I’m happy!

1. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

This was a fantastic book on the theory behind the power of positive thinking, and the pseudoscientific (I know, I know) law of attraction. In short, positive thoughts bring positive things to your life, negative thoughts attract negative outcomes. The cynic in me questioned the validity of this concept whilst I was reading (surely positive people are simply more likely to see the positive in any outcome whereas negative thinkers will likely focus more on the negative elements of a situation?) but either way – more positivity in the world is certainly not a bad thing!

The Secret goes on to describe how one can manifest the life they want, by positively preparing for it, and keeping the mind open and curious about the path to get there – not being fixated on a specific route, or focusing on what is lacking in the life that exists before achieving this goal.

What I found the most beneficial however, was the array of practical tools that could support creating a more positive mindset – in particular, positive reframing. The book suggested noticing when your brain is focusing on what you are lacking, and described how to shift that perspective by focusing on what you do have in abundance.

For example, when having a particularly busy work week, I noticed I was mainly talking and thinking about how busy I was and how tired I was. If the book’s theory is to be believed, this would only exacerbate the period of difficulty and attract more to me by focusing on the negatives. So, I tried a reframe as described in the book, focusing on the positives – how incredible it was that I had been given the responsibility to work on this complex matter, how much I had wanted this job and this training contract, and how much fun I’d had the previous week when I had finished work early enough to head to the beach. When my brain kept slipping back into negative loops, or I found myself reaching for negative language to describe how I was, I made a conscious effort to try and list the things I was appreciative of that day – which could have been anything from making a perfect coffee, some beautiful light in my kitchen, or calling my mum in the evening.

I found this the most enjoyable learning from the book. The regular exercise of appreciation – looking around and actively acknowledging how lucky I was to even have the basics of life (safety, warmth, nourishment), and knowing my loved ones were similarly so, I genuinely think was instrumental to me being a bit more relaxed when things were stressful, or I had made mistakes. I know, I know – someone saying “it could be worse” when things go wrong is most of the time wildly annoying, and whilst I agree saying it isn’t necessarily constructive when finding a solution, thinking it has helped me rationalise mistakes or problems, so I can focus more calmly on finding a solution or just getting through it.

I’ve found I’m certainly more resilient, and genuinely just a lot happier in general – not just at work. I can’t say for certain whether this theory works or if it’s the complete reason behind this improvement, but I certainly have found myself having far fewer negative spirals and panicked reactions to problems, and feel more positive, so I’m going to keep it up.

2. Million Dollar Habits by Stellan Moreira

I originally bought this book as I confused it with one written by Brian Tracy who was also the author of ‘Eat that Frog!’ – a book about a self-help concept I was introduced to during my previous career, in which you make sure to confront tasks you don’t want to complete quicky, and don’t avoid them. My old manager used to make sure we swallowed at least one frog a day and it’s really stuck with me throughout my working life. Whether the ‘frog’ is a fiddly HR task I have to complete or a difficult phone call with a client, I know the best way to deal with it is to confront it as soon as possible and get it off my list.

However, the book I actually bought is a 2017 self-help book by Stellan Moreira who presents 27 different habits to support a successful, happy life. In Million Dollar Habits, Moreira argues that habits are the key to success – and understanding how to break negative habits and creative positive habits is a powerful tool in creating the life you want. I read this after ‘The Secret’ and found a fair few overlaps between these concepts but in general it was an interesting and useful read.

The book suggests that a habit is created by a cue, routine and reward. For example, if you randomly check social media during the day, perhaps whilst waiting for your lunch to warm up, the act of standing by the microwave could cue you to think about checking social media. The reward would be the dopamine release social media sites have been designed to trigger.

Therefore, if you always indulge this cue and routinely act on it, then you could create a habit of checking social media whenever you’re making lunch – which could in turn extend to checking your phone every time you step away from your desk. I use this example because after reading this book, and exploring what habits I had, I realised this was a habit I had developed, and I imagine is something that many others with smart phones might relate to.

The book describes that understanding the building blocks that form a habit, also helps you to dismantle it when you have habits you’d like to break. Identifying the habit’s cues, reward and routine, and confronting the root of why this habit developed is essential to breaking it.

For example, for my phone usage I realise the cue of standing up to move away from my desk, had me reaching for my phone. I realised I had likely started this out of a mixture of boredom whilst waiting for my food to cook at lunch, and needing something to look at or occupy my hands whilst in the cafeteria prior to having made friends at the firm. I am now friends with enough colleagues that I shouldn’t really need this crutch – and am certainly busy enough that my brain likely needs a break from a screen when I’m away from my desk. Reward-wise, I know I definitely receive a dopamine hit as my reward, whether that’s from receiving a message from a friend or finding something to buy whilst scrolling!

With that in mind, I am currently on a mission to break the habit, which has extended cutting down my social media use in general. It is definitely not broken yet, but I am getting there! I now keep my phone in my bag and off my desk during the day, so my muscle memory to reach for it is less effective, and I delete Instagram during the working day. I’ve reached the stage where even when I redownload it during the evenings, there are times where I’ll delete it again pretty quickly as I feel more overwhelmed when suddenly exposed to all the noise. I’ve also taken back up the New York times Wordle and Connections games, for moments where I am waiting by the microwave. I am trying to coax myself into being more comfortable just standing and waiting without a phone, but this one is more tough as it can make me feel a little vulnerable and anxious. (When did that begin?!) Trying to break some of my phone habits has made me so much more aware of the subtly sinister way I have become slightly addicted to my phone, which has been the most interesting learning from this book for me.

The book also suggests how you can use these building blocks to create habits that can benefit you and help you towards success – such as working positive affirmations into your routine or creating an exercise commitment.

3. Mindset by Carol S. Dweck

One of the icons of self-help literature – I’ve been intending to read this for years, and am so glad I did prior to the training contract as it really supports learning.

The book focuses around introducing and explaining the differences between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset, suggesting that individuals fall into one of these categories. Those with fixed mindsets have pre-set ideas of ability and value, whereas those with growth mindsets are open to limitless development.

Dweck describes how central to this is how each mentality perceives and reacts to failure. Those with a growth mentality will see the positives in mistakes, learning something from each experience, whereas those with fixed mindsets instead will see mistakes as failures which are to be avoided and feared. The book describes how failures are a key part of success, and if one avoids mistakes, they will limit their own growth in that area. Those who are open to failure, and don’t mind losing in order to gain experience and learn, in turn become more resilient, as well as more experienced in the field in which they are pushing out of their comfort zone.

This was profoundly helpful as a trainee, as I really came to see the role as a two year opportunity to make mistakes. To view these two years mentally –  without billable targets and without client responsibility (under the trusty supervision of qualified lawyers!) – as the safest place to get uncomfortable and be open to making mistakes, hugely helped my confidence in approaching new tasks and getting stuck in. It also really helped me accept the mistakes I made, which was an added bonus, as I could then seek the support to deal with those mistakes effectively and find a solution. I found it really helpful to focus on appreciating the fact that I’d made the mistake and learnt from it whilst still junior enough that the repercussions were minimal.

Again, you may notice some overlaps here with ‘The Secret’ – finding the positive in every situation, including a negative mistake. Regardless, the concept seems to have worked for me, and I think has helped me approach every undulation of this intense learning period with a more positive and resilient mindset.

Contents:

• Judge blocks use of hotel for housing asylum seekers without planning consent
• High Court dismisses an Equality Act based claim against inspector’s decision to uphold demolition of six unlawfully built homes
• Inspector approves 249 homes on allocated site after council refused plan against officer’s advice
• Council allows 1,250 home scheme despite it providing only half of its local affordable housing requirement

Michelmores has advised on the successful incorporation and registration of international charity AuthentiSci Limited as an English charity, following a successful review of an initial rejection by the Charity Commission.

Working closely with Nick Clifton, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Exeter, Michelmores has supported AuthentiSci Limited throughout its incorporation in late 2023 up until its recent registration as a charity. The organisation operates internationally to improve public understanding of science and the importance of accurate scientific reporting in the media. AuthentiSci delivers educational programmes, lectures and outreach activities to equip the public with tools to critically engage with science-based news and information.

AuthentiSci operates in England and Germany and is supported and funded by Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings and the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics and Stifterverband.

Michelmores provided full legal support throughout the process, including company incorporation, advising on governance structure and charitable objects, and managing the application to the Charity Commission and subsequent review.

The Michelmores team advising on deal was led by Partner in the Firm’s Charities Team, Edward Porter, alongside Senior Associate Victoria Miller.

Nick Clifton commented:

“Michelmores showed unwavering commitment to our mission, helping us navigate complex scenarios with clarity, care and strategic insight. Their expertise not only secured our charity status but enabled us to move forward with greater confidence and capacity to deliver on our international goals.”

Edward Porter commented:

“We are pleased to have played a role in securing AuthentiSci’s charitable status. The work the charity undertakes helps the public to engage with scientific literature and improve public discourse in this vital area.”

This outcome reinforces Michelmores’ track record of supporting purpose-driven organisations with complex governance and regulatory challenges, and is the latest in a number of successful matters involving local and international charities, not for profits and businesses working for a positive future.

Read more on our website or contact Victoria.Miller@michelmores.com

Michelmores has advised sustainable period care brand Grace & Green on its latest investment round, which included backing from the South West Investment Fund (SWIF), Angel Invest Bristol, and Women Angels of Wales and others.

Founded in 2019 by Frances Lucraft, Grace & Green is a certified B Corp that is on a mission to transform the period care sector through innovation, sustainability, and social impact. Since its launch, the brand has established itself as one of the leaders in workplace menstrual provisions, offering a range of high-performing, ethically sourced, and sustainable products that challenge industry norms. The investment comes soon after the business announced its launch into Boots, with its products being rolled out across 150 stores across the UK.

The Michelmores team was led by Partner Harry Trick and Associate Gruff Cartwright, both members of the Consumer Brands team at Michelmores, with support from Oliver Ryder (Trainee).

Frances Lucraft, founder of Grace & Green, commented:

“We’re delighted to have completed this investment round with the backing of such respected partners who share our values and vision. This funding was a vital step forward in accelerating our growth and mission to transform the period and incontinence care category through innovation, sustainability and social impact.

The support from Michelmores has been invaluable throughout this process, the team has been fantastic, guiding us with both expertise and care. We’re excited to now focus fully on scaling the brand, growing our partnerships, and continuing to challenge the norms of the personal care industry.”

Gruff Cartwright commented:

“It’s been a pleasure working with Frances, Richard Boath and the wider Grace & Green team on this exciting milestone for the business. We’re proud to support a brand that’s redefining sustainability in personal care. This deal also reflects the continued growth of our Consumer Brands practice at Michelmores, and we’re excited to support more purpose-driven brands on their journeys.”

For more details on our venture capital and early-stage team, please visit our website.

Michelmores has received continued recognition in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide 2025, underscoring the Firm’s ongoing commitment to excellence in private wealth law, landed estates and high value residential estates, and related specialist areas.

Chambers and Partners has been the leading source of independent legal market intelligence for over 30 years. The guide is based on comprehensive research, including submissions, interviews, and surveys, ensuring its rankings reflect real-world experiences and client satisfaction.

This year, Michelmores Private Wealth Group has maintained its strong standing across several core regions and practice areas, with the following highlights:

• The Firm achieved a new Band 5 ranking for its team in the Private Wealth Law: London category. This jurisdiction is recognised as one of the most competitive and globally benchmarked legal markets and this represents a strong endorsement of the team’s growing presence and capability.
• Dhana Sabanathan remains a key figure in Private Wealth Law: London, increasing her individual ranking to Band 3. James Frampton is newly ranked in Band 5 in the Private Wealth Law: London market for his growing reputation for work with high-net-worth clients with a US connection, in addition to his Band 1 Exeter recognition.
• Dhana leads the team in retaining a UK-wide Band 2 ranking for her work in Family Offices & Fund Structuring, with the wider team being newly ranked in Band 3.
• Christian Massey and Iwan Williams led a successful outcome in the new UK-wide Landed Estates category with Band 1 rankings whilst the team is ranked in Band 2 for this category. Chris and the team are also top ranked for High Value Residential Real Estate across the UK.
• Daniel Eames retains his Band 4 ranking for UK-wide Family/Matrimonial Finance in the Ultra High Net Worth category. This acknowledges his work in complex cross-border family matters, and Philip Barth continues to be ranked in Band 2 for Immigration for High Net Worth Individuals across the UK, highlighting his continued strength in advising international private clients.
• In the South West, the Firm’s Private Wealth Disputes team has achieved a new top-tier Band 1 ranking and three improved Associate rankings across the team, highlighting Michelmores’ strong pipeline of talent in this complex and emotive area of law.
• The Firm’s reputation for Private Wealth Law advice remains strong across the South West. It is top ranked in Exeter and Surrounds, and holds a Band 2 ranking in both Bristol and Cheltenham and Surrounds — demonstrating consistent performance in these competitive markets. Four of the Firm’s partners are top ranked in this area, including Iwan Williams, who has moved up to Band 2 for Cheltenham and Surrounds Private Wealth Law, as well as achieving national recognition in the Landed Estates category.

For more information, please visit our website.

On Monday, 21 July, the Government published draft legislation for inclusion in the Finance Bill 2025-26. This included clauses to implement the proposed changes to Business Property Relief (BPR), as well as Agricultural Property Relief (APR).

Overall, the draft legislation does not contain any major surprises. Disappointingly, the £1 million allowance which qualifies for 100% relief has not been made transferable between spouses as many had hoped. There is also no delay to the commencement date for the new rules, which remains 6 April 2026, despite significant lobbying, including from Family Business UK.

In more positive news, the £1 million allowance will be index-linked (to the Consumer Price Index), but not until 2029/30 (it is frozen until then, like the Nil Rate Band).

The process is that there will now be a technical consultation on the draft legislation, which will run for eight weeks ending on 15 September. It is worth noting that the Autumn Budget is expected to take place in late October or early November, likely whilst the Finance Bill is going through the Parliamentary process, when there is speculation around further tax changes.

The timing is now such that business owners who hold shares that qualify for BPR should review their succession planning strategies as soon as possible. This is also the case for owners of land-based businesses where APR may also be available. There are certain planning opportunities which exist between now and April 2026; however, further tax changes have the potential to limit those, meaning that now is the time to act. Please visit our website for further information on these changes.

Our Tax, Trusts & Succession team has significant experience in advising business-owning and rural land-owning clients on their succession planning and efficient structuring. Please contact Charles Frost or another member of the team to discuss this further.

Michelmores has advised Eastgate, a special purpose vehicle of renewable energy producer Voltalia UK, on its successful £18.9m funding raise from Triodos Bank UK. The loan will support the construction of a new 34MW photovoltaic solar plant near Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

The Eastgate Solar project is being developed without subsidy and, once complete, will feature approximately 62,500 solar panels. The plant is scheduled for commissioning by the end of 2025 and will generate enough clean electricity to meet a significant portion of the energy needs of The Co-operative Group, under a 15-year Corporate Power Purchase Agreement. The agreement will supply around 7.5% of the Co-op’s total electricity consumption across its food stores, distribution centres, and funeral care homes in the UK.

The financing package includes a construction and long-term operating loan of up to £18.9m and a Debt Service Reserve Facility of £1.1m. The transaction demonstrates strong lender confidence in the strength of Voltalia’s UK pipeline and the broader market appetite for well-structured renewable energy projects.

Michelmores advised Eastgate on all legal aspects of the financing. The Michelmores team was led by Managing Associate Danielle Collett-Bruce, from the Firm’s Banking team, with support from Catherine Davis and Sebastian Ombler from the Construction team and Charlie Parker from the Banking team.

Danielle Collett-Bruce commented:

“We are pleased to have supported Voltalia on this significant transaction, which further underlines the strength of its UK renewables portfolio. Eastgate Solar represents another important step in the UK’s transition to clean energy, and we’re proud to have played a part in bringing it closer to operation.”

For more information on Michelmores’ Banking & Finance teams, visit our website.

Stratford Village Development Partnership and others v Triathlon Homes LLP [2025] EWCA Civ 846

Key takeaway

The Court of Appeal has drawn from the recent decision in URS Corporation Ltd v BDW Trading Ltd (see our recent insight on this case here) in terms of how the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA) is to be applied. In doing so, the Court of Appeal dismissed SVDP’s appeal, finding that:

• it was just and equitable for the First-Tier Tribunal, Property Chamber (FTT) to award a Remediation Contribution Order (RCO); and
• an RCO could be made in respect of costs incurred before section 124 of the BSA came into force on 28 June 2022.

Background – the case being considered by the Court of Appeal

The case of Triathlon Homes LLP v Stratford Village Development Partnership and others [2024] UKFTT 26 (PC) concerned the remediation of cladding defects identified in five residential buildings at the former Olympic Village in Stratford, East London (the Village).

The Village contained residential buildings that were originally developed by Stratford Village Development Partnership (SVDP) (now owned by Get Living plc), providing accommodation to 17,000 athletes and officials during the London 2012 Olympic Games. The Village has since become a large permanent residential estate providing 2,818 homes, including 1,379 affordable homes and houses.

The freehold interest in the Village is ultimately held by SVDP. East Village Management Ltd (EVML) held a headlease over part of the Village, with Triathlon Homes LLP (Triathlon) in turn holding a lease over the blocks that were the subject of this dispute. The repair and maintenance of the structure and common parts of the Village was the responsibility of a respondent in these proceedings, EVML. EVML was co-owned by Get Living and Triathlon.

By December 2017, it had been identified that blocks in the Village had been constructed of the same highly combustible aluminium composite material (ACM) used as cladding at Grenfell. Further investigations also identified that there were serious fire safety defects, relating both to the design and construction of various non-ACM cladding systems. The total cost of the remedial works was stated to exceed £24.5 million, which were being incurred by both EVML and Triathlon.

Triathlon made five applications (one for each of the blocks it owned) to the FTT for RCOs under section 124 of the BSA. In particular, the FTT had to consider whether: (i) Triathlon and EVML could recover costs incurred before section 124 of the BSA came into force; and (ii) the test of whether it was “just and equitable” to make an RCO.

Dealing with the first issue, the FTT considered that it would have been inconceivable that a leaseholder of a flat which had not been remediated by the time the BSA came into force could enjoy its protections whereas a leaseholder who had already remediated the building at their expense would be prevented from seeking an RCO. The FTT therefore concluded Triathlon could recover the costs it had incurred prior to 28 June 2022. Turning to the second issue, the FTT also noted that there was no immediate guidance on how it should decide what was “just and equitable“, but they stated:

“…that the power is discretionary and should therefore be exercised having regard to the purpose of the 2022 Act and all relevant factors, it is not possible to identify a particular approach which should be taken. But the FTT is well used to exercising its discretion by reference to what is just and equitable in other contexts…”

The FTT identified the factors it thought were important in determining whether it was just and equitable to make the order sought. This included considering the policy of the BSA 2022, which is that:

“… primary responsibility for the cost of remediation should fall on the original developer, and that others who have a liability to contribute may pass on the costs they incur to the developer.”

The FTT found that Triathlon was entitled to the RCOs sought, being a sum of £16,031,244.53 payable to EVML for the forecast cost of the “Major Works and professional fees, apportioned between the Blocks“, a sum of £767,438.79 payable to EVML for “other remedial measures“, and a sum of £1,158,358.18 payable to Triathlon for other “additional costs“.

The issues in appeal to the Court of Appeal

SVDP appealed the decision with the hearing taking place between 19 and 21 March 2025. It was agreed that it was right to dispose of this matter at the Court of Appeal, rather than at the Upper Tribunal – in effect creating a leapfrog appeal, to consider whether an RCO:

1. should have indeed been made (i.e. by concluding that it was just and equitable to make such an order); and
2.  can be made in respect of costs incurred before section 124 of the BSA came into force on 28 June 2022.

SVDP argued that an RCO cannot and should not have been made on both accounts.

The Court of Appeal’s Decision

The Court of Appeal delivered judgment on the above issues on 8 July 2025, dismissing SVDP’s appeal, finding on each respective issue that:

1. the FTT was justified in awarding the RCO, expressing a view that it is difficult to see why the public should fund the works rather than the responsible developer and its associates (especially where they continue to own the buildings and can afford to fund the works). Further, the Court was not concerned with Triathlon’s motivation for bringing the proceedings where it had a legitimate interest in ensuring the defects were remediated, both as an owner of a long leasehold interest, and as a landlord to many tenants; and
2. an RCO can be made in respect of costs incurred before section 124 of the BSA came into force. Lord Justice Newey stated at paragraph 160 of the judgment:

“… section 124 of the BSA empowers the FTT to make an RCO “for the purpose of meeting costs incurred or to be incurred in remedying relevant defects (or specified relevant defects)”. Having regard to the definition of the term given in section 120(2), a “relevant defect” may have arisen as a result of work done (or not done) many years before the BSA was enacted and, as the FTT pointed out in paragraph 73 of its decision, section 124 does not expressly impose any other temporal limitation. Nothing said in section 124, therefore, prevents the provision from having retrospective effect.”

Michelmores’ comments

While the government has made public funding available to help remediate higher-risk buildings in England, that funding does not displace the provisions of the BSA, which regulates who is responsible for contributing to the cost of carrying out those remedial works.

Drawing from the recent case of URS, the Court noted that “that a central purpose of the [Building Safety] Act was to hold those responsible for building safety defects accountable“. This included rejecting SVDP’s argument that it should not be liable where responsible parties had changed ownership to fall within SVDP’s corporate structure.

The Court also found that denying section 124’s retrospective effect would result in RCOs being unavailable in circumstances where Parliament expected such relief to be available, and inconsistencies could arise.

It is now expected that the developer/SVDP will pursue the original contractors and professional teams. The prospect is for there to be lengthy legal battles to come and for some contractors involved in high rise developments, the potential of huge liabilities and possibly insolvency. It has been reported that the remedial costs to the whole of the Village could run to over £400m.

This decision will be a welcome addition to those parties who are tasked with the responsibility of carrying out remedial works to higher-risk buildings; but inevitably places risk on developers in terms of the claims it could face. The recent string of building safety cases is establishing a chain of how liability can be attributed, from those directly affected here and now down to those who are historically responsible for the construction of a development (even where ownership of a company has changed).

Should you have any queries or need assistance with any building safety matters, please do not hesitate to contact Ashley Pigott (Partner) or Andrew Pratten (Associate) in Michelmores’ specialist Construction and Engineering team.