Published comments

“Janet Bignell is recognised as 'an understated user-friendly professional who shows great promise', particularly in rent reviews. She appeared in the Court of Appeal in Innovate Logistics v Sunberry Properties”. Chambers and Partners 2010.

"Sources feel that Janet Bignell's key strengths are her 'exceptional attention to detail' and 'amazing advocacy'. She successfully represented the defendant in Leftbank Properties Limited v Spirit Group Retail Limited, defeating an application to set aside a rent review arbitration award on the grounds that there had been serious irregularities in the conduct of the arbitration. Clients confirm that she is 'pragmatic and tremendously reassuring and always keeps her feet on the ground'". Chambers & Partners 2009

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Janet Bignell

Called 1992
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Janet undertakes litigation, arbitration and advisory work in all aspects of real property and landlord and tenant law. She has been instructed in a number of the most high value and high profile development disputes of the last 5 years. Recent court cases have focused on the award of restitutionary damages for trespass, insolvency, professional negligence and rent review. A full list of reported cases is set out below.

Education

Downing College, Cambridge University: MA (1st Class Hons).

Elected Scholar, Harris Scholar and Senior Harris Scholar.

Hertford College, Oxford University: BCL (1st Class Hons).

British Academy State Scholarship.

Professional

Called 1992, Lincoln's Inn.

Inns of Court Studentship.

Denning Major Scholarship, Wolfson Scholarship, Hardwicke Scholarship.

Bar Council Working Party on the Future of Tribunals, 2000/2001.

Blundell Lecture 2007, "Forfeiture - A Long Overdue Reform?"

Appointed to sit as a Recorder in the Crown Court, 2009

Recent Cases

Stadium Capital Holdings (No 2) Ltd v St Marylebone Property Company Plc (2010) CA (Civ Div): Janet was instructed to act on the appeal, and represented the successful appellant. The Court of Appeal held that the trial judge had erred in awarding damages for trespass, arising out of an advertising hoarding intruding into the airspace of neighbouring land, on the basis of the entirety of income the trespasser had earned from the operation of the hoarding without giving consideration to more appropriate bases for damages, such as a reasonable licence fee negotiated between the parties on a hypothetical basis or taking account of expenses incurred in operating the hoarding.

Sunberry Properties Ltd v Innovate Logistics Ltd (in administration) [2009] BCC 164, [2009] 1 BCLC 145 (CA). Application for permission under para 43(6) Sched B1 Insolvency Act 1986 to bring proceedings for a mandatory injunction .

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Publications

Lewison's Drafting Business Leases, author.

Registered Land: Law and Practice under the Land Registration Act 2002, co-author.

Fisher and Lightwood's Law of Mortgage (11th ed), contributor.

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