Mark is described in Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500 as “outstandingly clever”, “incredibly bright”, “a tenacious fighter”, “practical and commercial”, and “a marvel”. “He has a remarkable gift for predicting what judges will say and do”, and is “fantastically good on the technical side as well as being great at the client facing”. His “grasp of property valuations and their methodology is second to none.”
Mark practises in all areas of commercial and residential landlord and tenant and property law, but has particular expertise in the following:
- Development agreements
- Rent review
- Valuation disputes
- Overage
- Leasehold enfranchisement
- Options
- Contractual interpretation
- Dilapidations
- Lease renewals under Part II of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954
- Easements and rights to light
- Sale and purchase agreements
- Property-related insolvency
- Complex commercial transactions
- Injunctions against protesters
In recent years, Mark has been instructed in a series of multi-billion pound valuation arbitrations concerning the largest residential property portfolio in England and Wales. He acted in the largest-ever open market rent review in Hong Kong, about a logistics facility in the Kwai Chung container port. He was instructed in the Supreme Court in the leading case on implied terms in contracts, Marks and Spencer v BNP Paribas, and he has appeared in both the Supreme Court and in the House of Lords in cases about leasehold enfranchisement. Before taking silk, he was the Real Estate Junior of the Year at the Chambers and Partners Bar Awards. Mark accepts instructions to act as a legal assessor and as an arbitrator, and he is widely recognised as having particular skill in disputes about valuation.
"Mark Sefton is a very effective advocate."
"Mark is commercially astute and great with clients and managing risk factors. One of the genuine leaders in his field."
"My first choice on any matters of interpretation."
"He has a clarity of thought that comes across in everything that he does, especially in his written work."Chambers and Partners UK Bar Guide 2024 (Real Estate Litigation)
‘Mark has excellent analytical skills and is able to assimilate and digest complex facts very quickly and then to apply the law to them. He is clear, concise and consistent in his advice.’Legal 500 2024
"Mark is very impressive, has a good client manner, and is very bright and smart."Chambers and Partners UK Guide 2023
"His knowledge is excellent, and he's really great on calls with clients; he really instils confidence in them and the case as a whole."Chambers and Partners UK Guide 2023
"Mark Sefton is a go-to counsel for complex cases. He is able to cut through the issues and turn challenging cases into a winning position."Chambers and Partners UK Guide 2023
‘Mark is able to get to the crux of an issue quickly, condensing complex legal arguments down to the key points and ignoring the extraneous points. His written analysis, including his skeleton arguments, are focused and persuasive and ultimately well received by judges.'Legal 500 2023
Mark Sefton QC is a skilled advocate whose practice concentrates on commercial and residential landlord and tenant disputes, including high-value dilapidations cases. He excels in complex issues of valuation. "He has a remarkable gift for predicting what judges will say and do." "He is truly a marvel. The speed with which he digests complex information and distils it into a detailed analysis is second to none."Chambers and Partners UK Guide 2022 (Real Estate Litigation)
‘ Mark has a depth of knowledge and a clarity of thought which is outstanding and makes him my first choice barrister for many of the knotty property issues that come across my path. He is especially good on issues of interpretation and his grasp of property valuations and their methodology is second to none. ’Legal 500 2022
A skilled advocate whose practice concentrates on property-related insolvency, as well as commercial and residential landlord and tenant disputes. He excels in complex issues of valuation. Strengths: "He's a great combination of incredibly bright and fantastically good on the technical side as well as being great at the client facing in conferences." "Mark is outstandingly clever and considered and a tenacious fighter when he needs to be." "He really thinks laterally about things."Chambers and Partners UK Guide 2021 (Real Estate Litigation)
"He is a very helpful, notable QC."Legal 500 2021
A skilled advocate whose practice concentrates on property-related insolvency, as well as commercial and residential landlord and tenant disputes. He excels in complex issues of valuation. Strengths: "He is practical and commercial and has a very good rapport with clients." "Really responsive and completely on it. He will always give a really realistic timeframe and stick to it." "A very good trial advocate and one of the best in valuation work."Chambers and Partners UK Guide 2020 (Real Estate Litigation)
"Highly rated for both commercial and residential landlord and tenant matters."Legal 500 2020
Mark Sefton QC is a key name in the field of real estate law who is well known for his adept handling of insolvency-related property issues, as well as landlord and tenant matters. Who's Who Legal UK Bar 2019 Guide
"A skilled advocate whose practice concentrates on property-related insolvency, as well as commercial and residential landlord and tenant disputes. He excels in complex issues of valuation. Strengths: 'His advice is always down-to-earth, sensibly reasoned and practical.' 'A barrister of quality and intellect.' 'He has excellent judgement.' Recent work: Acted for the successful claimant in Minerva v Greenland Ram, a three-week trial in the Chancery Division concerning overage on the Ram Brewery development site in Wandsworth." Chambers UK Guide 2019 (Real Estate Litigation)
"He provides excellent advice in a thoroughly understandable and practical way."Legal 500 2018 (Property Litigation)More published comments
