Tom Hickingbottom

Tom Hickingbottom is a partner within the dispute resolution team at our Lincoln office.

Tom gained his Legal Practice Course (with distinction) at the College of Law in 2012, he qualified as a solicitor in 2014, was promoted to senior solicitor in May 2019 and became partner in 2022. He was previously a solicitor in the residential property team which makes him ideally placed to advise upon property disputes.

He works closely with the firm’s commercial property and agriculture departments advising clients on a variety of contentious and non-contentious scenarios, including property rights, notices and procedures.

Tom regularly acts for Internal Drainage Boards, advising them on exercising their powers under the Land Drainage Act 1991 and enforcing their byelaws. In 2019, he was singled out by the Legal 500 as a ‘rising star’ and in 2021 was described as “an excellent lawyer and always picks up quickly on the relevant issue”.

Tom supports the firm's position as regional panel solicitors for the National Farmers' Union in the East Midlands and advises the farming and land-owning community on a broad range of contentious matters and in 2018 he became a member of the Agricultural Law Association.

He deals with all areas of litigation with specialist expertise in the following:

Landlord and Tenant:

• Possession claims under Rent Act and Housing Act

• The Tenancy Deposit Scheme

• Claims against trespassers

• Recovery of service charge and ground rent arrears including the service of notices under the Law of Property Act

• Forfeiture of commercial leases

• Tenancy Agreements

• Agricultural Tenancies

• Lease renewals

Property:

• Boundary disputes

• Disputes about property ownership (cohabites)

• Applications under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act

• Mortgage Possession claims

• Adverse Possession

Commercial:

• Consumer Credit and Sale of Goods legislation including fitness for purpose and satisfactory quality issues

• Contract disputes

• Partnership Disputes