Expertise
Commercial Chancery: trusts and property
Trust, beneficial-ownership and commercially significant property disputes, including equitable claims arising between business owners, shareholders and families.
Experience and approach
Alexander acts in Commercial Chancery disputes concerning the ownership, control and recovery of property, shares and other valuable assets. His experience includes express, resulting and constructive trusts, breach of trust and fiduciary duty, tracing, proprietary remedies, estoppel and disputes involving property-holding companies and offshore trust structures. The focus is on substantial contested matters, particularly where trust and property issues overlap with company, insolvency, fraud or cross-border proceedings.
Issues that may require specialist counsel
When this expertise may be relevant.
- The beneficial ownership of property, shares or business assets is disputed
- Legal title may not reflect the parties' true interests or arrangements
- A trustee or fiduciary is alleged to have misapplied property or diverted value
- A substantial property dispute overlaps with company, insolvency, fraud or cross-border issues
Selected work
- 01Trust and beneficial-ownership claims
- 02Resulting, constructive and express trusts
- 03Breach of trust and fiduciary-duty claims
- 04Tracing and proprietary remedies
- 05Proprietary estoppel and equitable relief
- 06Commercial property and property-holding disputes
Representative matters
Selected experience in commercial chancery: trusts and property.
Minks and Agilo Ltd — trustee and security application
PT-2023-000226
Sole counsel, instructed by Tees Solicitors
Alexander acted as sole counsel in linked High Court applications to restore a dissolved trustee company and replace the relevant trustee or security agent. The underlying security included a second charge over a development in Nevis valued at more than US$15 million. The matter required English company-restoration procedure to be coordinated with offshore trust, secured-lending and property considerations.
Read the matter summary →Magee v Crocker
[2024] EWHC 1723 (Ch); [2024] EWHC 2353 (Ch)
Junior counsel with Mohammed Zaman KC for the first defendant, instructed by Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP
Judge: His Honour Judge Cawson KC, sitting as a Judge of the High Court (now Mr Justice Cawson)
Alexander appeared with Mohammed Zaman KC for the first defendant in a twelve-day High Court trial concerning a disputed share transfer. The proceedings involved allegations of fraudulent misrepresentation, offshore trust arrangements, pre-emption rights, estoppel, waiver and novation. The matter demonstrates experience of complex fraud litigation involving extensive witness evidence, historic documents and overlapping company, trust and contractual issues.
Read the case and Alexander's role →Malben Ltd v McCarthy
CR-2021-002375
Leading junior for the petitioner, instructed by Acuity Law
Alexander acted as leading junior for the petitioner in a section 994 unfair-prejudice petition concerning a holding company with an industrial estate and other commercial property valued at more than £30 million. The proceedings involved company control, shareholder rights, valuation and a potential buyout. The dispute was prepared for a twenty-day trial and resolved following disclosure without publication of the settlement terms.
Read the matter summary →Related legal analysis
Fiduciaries and the profit rule.
Analysis of the Supreme Court's treatment of fiduciary conflicts, unauthorised profits and the relationship between equitable principle and practical remedies.
Read Case Digest No. 8