A man with a beard, wearing a dark suit and a dotted tie, smiles with his arms crossed against a white background.

Mr Sam Keeling-Roberts

Year of Call: 2005

Practice areas:

Business and Property
Housing

Sam's negotiating skills are fantastic along with his advocacy. He is also very helpful and a big favourite with clients."

Chambers and Partners 2024

He is extremely professional, friendly and highly competent."

Chambers and Partners 2022

He is very well prepared, extremely organised and impressive in his technical knowledge." "He's very sensible and pragmatic."

Chambers and Partners 2021

Sam is commercially minded and provides a methodical and reasoned approach to cases."

"His paperwork is always impressive and he explains his position in a straightforward manner."

Chambers & Partners 2024

Overview

Sam practises in all areas of commercial, business and property law, with a particular emphasis on commercial disputes and property litigation.

Sam has practised from Cobden House Chambers for over 16 years and he specialises in commercial litigation: from multi-million pound contractual disputes to claims in professional negligence against architects, surveyors and solicitors.

Sam’s practice also focuses on property litigation, where he frequently deals with landlord and tenant disputes (both commercial and residential, including lease renewals and dilapidations claims), housing disputes (involving both private and social landlords) and diverse real property disputes, involving beneficial interests, trespass, nuisance, boundary disputes and arguments over rights of way. His practice also includes personal and corporate insolvency and traditional chancery work involving wills and probate.

Prior to being called to the Bar, Sam studied architecture at the University of Sheffield, and worked for a commercial architects’ practice in Manchester. As such, Sam has a particular interest, and practical experience, in construction disputes and architects’ and contractors’ negligence.

Sam accepts instructions to advise in conference and in writing, to draft pleadings and applications, and to undertake court appearances at all levels. Sam also represents clients in mediations, arbitrations, negotiations, joint-settlement meetings and tribunal hearings, where his practical outlook and ability to “think outside the box” has secured settlements where others would fail.

Expertise

Commercial litigation

Sam’s extensive practical experience in business disputes and thorough knowledge of the legal and procedural landscape means he can assist clients either from before a dispute arises or when instructed the day before trial.

Property law

Sam has many years’ experience in advising and representing landlords, tenants, home-owners and developers in all areas of property law.

Sam is ranked by Chambers & Partners UK Bar Guide as “Band 1” for social housing. He represents social landlords and local authorities all over the country in possession claims, injunction proceedings and committals and is known for his advocacy and negotiating skills. Clients are invariably impressed by his ability to effectively communicate with clients (whether they are chief executives or housing officers) and to sensitively handle vulnerable witnesses in difficult cases.

Notable Cases

Successfully obtaining ex parte injunctive relief in a partnership dispute in respect of property worth in excess of £100 million.
Successfully representing a commercial landlord in a two-week long dilapidations claim.
Successfully acting for a motor dealership against a customer who had fraudulently misrepresented his entitlement to VAT relief.
Successfully obtaining a declaration that his client held a beneficial interest in his late father's property by virtue of a constructive trust.
Successfully acting for a trustee in bankruptcy in respect of the transfer of a Spanish villa at an undervalue of over €1m.
Successfully defending a claim for the return of a pedigree stud cat given to his client as a gift.
Successfully defending a client in a seven-day trial concerned with the negligent design of a swimming pool and negotiating the withdrawal of the claim mid-trial.
Successfully defending a client accused of harassment in a private landlord and tenant dispute.
Successfully defending clients accused of trespass, nuisance and harassment in two, week-long boundary dispute trials.
Successfully defending a professional client in disciplinary proceedings brought by the RIBA.

Achievements

Qualifications

Bar Vocational Course (Manchester) 2005 (distinction)
MA(Law) – University of Sheffield – 2004 (distinction)
BA(Hons) – Architecture – University of Sheffield – 2001 (Upper first-class)

Memberships

The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple
The Northern Business and Property Bar Association

Personal Information

In his spare time, Sam enjoys playing football, running and cycling as well as travelling abroad whenever possible. Sam has been a Manchester City fan from birth and follows them at home and in Europe.

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