Siobahn Sylvester is a senior solicitor within the dispute resolution team at our Grimsby office with a particular specialism in property litigation.
Siobahn qualified as a solicitor in 2013 after successfully obtaining a 2:1 law degree from the University of Hull in 2009 and attaining a distinction for the legal practice course at the College of Law in 2010. She has worked for Wilkin Chapman since February 2016, being promoted to a senior solicitor in June 2019.
Siobahn is recognised by the Legal 500 as a key lawyer in the property litigation team and an associate to watch in Real Estate Litigation in the 2023 UK Chambers Guide.
She has over nine years post qualification experience and advises on all aspects of commercial disputes and has significant experience in property related disputes.
Siobahn works closely both with the firms domestic and commercial property regarding a variety of contentious and non-contentious matters. She has successfully built a specialism acting for both freeholders and leaseholders on all aspects of leasehold enfranchisement, not limited to and including lease extensions, purchase of freeholds, right to manage and other individual and collective rights.
She also deals with a full range of property matters including cohabitee disputes and claims under the Trust of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act and recovery of service charge and ground rent arrears in a residential lease context. Siobahn also advises upon commercial lease renewals, disputes arising out of breaches of commercial lease obligations, injunctions and forfeiture, as well as land ownership/rights disputes including adverse possession, trespass, prescription, rights of way.
Siobahn also leads the residential landlord and tenant team within the firm, supervising a team who advise on all aspects of landlord and tenant matters. The team, under Siobahn’s leadership are panel solicitors for a national insurer and local social housing association. The residential landlord and tenant team are solicitors of choice for local and national landlords, advising of all aspects of Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreements and possession claims under the Housing Act 1988 (as amended).
In additional to her specialism in property related disputes, Siobahn also advises on all aspects of commercial disputes including business disputes, contractual disputes and consumer disputes.
She works closely with a national retailer in providing a wide range of assistance with all elements of disputes with both individual retailers and business clients in all aspects of debt recovery. Siobahn has also led a team to successfully recover thousands of pounds in commercial claims for recovery of payments made by consumers based on unfair relationships with banks.
She is recognised for her technical knowledge and attention to detail. She has a forward thinking, commercial approach to disputes to achieve the best result for the client in the quickest and cost-effective way possible.
Siobahn has also successfully intervened in a number of divorce proceedings to protect clients’ property interests that would otherwise have formed part of matrimonial proceedings; one case of interest resulted in the client retaining a property interest in the region of half a million pounds. She also assists the family department in respect of applications for possession and the probate team in property interests being realised in respect of estates. Siobahn is also member of the leisure and tourism sector within the firm regularly assisting caravan park owners and users in disputes over occupation/licences.
Outside of work, Siobahn is a governor for a local primary academy school that is part of a multi-academy trust.
Submit an enquiry and Siobahn will be in touch as soon as possible to discuss your needs.
