Suffian Ali Hussain

Property

Suffian is a specialist property barrister, and his experience encompasses (but is not limited to):

1. Real property disputes;
2. Residential and commercial landlord and tenant work for private landlords, tenants, local authorities, and housing associations;
3. Probate-related property litigation;
4. Litigation before the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber);
5. Litigation before the Magistrates’ Court in relation to property-related criminal offences;
6. Enforcement proceedings (Charging Orders and Orders for Sale).

Below is a sample of cases handled by Suffian. If your property-related issue does not fall within the areas outlined below, Suffian may still be able to assist:

• Possession proceedings, including against persons unknown;
• Boundary disputes between neighbouring properties;
• Tenancy succession;
• Adverse possession;
• Tolata claims;
• Tenancy deposit claims;
• Forfeiture and relief from forfeiture proceedings;
• Service charge disputes;
• Dispensation applications;
• Estoppel;
• Property damage;
• Injunctions (interim relief and/or access injunctions);
• Easements;
• Disrepair;
• 1954 Act business lease renewals;
• Leasehold enfranchisement;
• Trespass and nuisance claims;

Recent cases

Hamer v Levy [2025] EWHC 3101 (KB)

Suffian successfully appeared for the respondent landlord before the High Court. The appellant tenant was ordered to give up possession of the property by a district judge under Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 (“the Order”). The appellant appealed the Order to a Circuit Judge, who struck out the appeal. The tenant then appealed the Circuit Judge’s decision to the High Court, which dismissed the appeal with costs.

MH & MLtd v FS (Ongoing)

Suffian is instructed by the Claimants in a commercial property dispute involving trespass and adverse possession. He successfully obtained a without-notice interim injunction against the Defendant, who has unsuccessfully attempted to have the injunction discharged. The trial is listed for mid-2026.

JW v RB & PB (County Court)

Suffian successfully represented the Defendants in a complex nuisance trial between two neighbours. The trial involved limitation issues, with the claimant alleging a “continuing nuisance” to his property, and submissions addressed causation and Jalla v Shell [2023] UKSC 16. The claim was dismissed.

S v W (County Court)

Suffian obtained declaratory relief in a multi-day trial, which clarified where the boundary of the Claimant’s property was. This case contained complex expert evidence from a civil engineer and a topographical surveyor.

8–9 Ground Floor, Oxford Street, Southampton, SO14 3DJ (First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber))

Suffian successfully appeared for the landlord in an application for determination of liability to pay service charges under Section 27A of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. The tribunal found that the Applicant applied different percentages for separate categories of cost, which was not permissible under the lease. Suffian’s submissions persuaded the Tribunal that the long leaseholder was nonetheless liable for the service charges.

Written work

Alongside his court practice, Suffian provides advisory and drafting services across the full spectrum of property-related litigation and civil procedure. Recent work includes advising on service; advising on a prospective Tolata claim; advising pre-action on nuisance or trespass claims; advising on a prospective easement claim; and settling Statements of Case in property litigation.

Commercial Litigation

Suffian is a specialist commercial barrister, with experience including (but not limited to):

1. Contested bankruptcy and insolvency work;
2. Claims for breach of contract, including personal guarantees, assignments, and auction contracts;
3. Agency work;
4. Contractual interpretation;
5. Shareholder disputes;
6. Civil fraud;
7. Freezing injunctions and interim injunctions;
8. Applications contesting jurisdiction, setting aside default judgment, and general civil applications;
9. Aviation law.

Trial work

H & R v GE Ltd (County Court)
Suffian represented the Part 20 claimant in a complex multi-day trial. The Part 20 defendants argued a unilateral mistake as to the contracting party, claimed the contract was a distance contract under the ICAC Regulations 2013, and contended that works commenced within the statutory cooling-off period. Submissions addressed Shogun Finance-type arguments on mistake, unjust enrichment, and para. 28 of the ICAC Regulations 2013. The Court found in favour of the Part 20 claimant, who beat a Part 36 offer and was awarded costs exceeding £24,000.

C Ltd (County Court)
Suffian represented a major airline in a complex trial. The claim was brought by a third party under an assigned right. Suffian persuaded the Court that the assignment was invalid on champerty and maintenance grounds. The claim was dismissed.

BS v TS & SS (County Court)
Suffian represented the Claimant in a breach of franchise agreement trial and successfully resisted the Defendants’ force majeure defence. Liability and quantum were both resolved in the Claimant’s favour.

KB (County Court)
Suffian successfully defended a Government department in civil proceedings after the Claimant’s vehicle was wrongly scrapped. Cross-examination revealed that unknown persons had accessed the Claimant’s data and registered the vehicle as SORN. The claim was dismissed.

Applications

BH Ltd (County Court)
Suffian acted for a Defendant care home whose identity had been stolen by unknown third parties offering migrants care roles and sponsorship certificates in the UK. He successfully secured strike-out and reverse summary judgment of the claims (pleaded at c. £112,000), with costs.

AGM Ltd (County Court)
Suffian acted for a respondent removals and storage company in resisting an application to set aside default judgment. The application was delaying bankruptcy proceedings, in which the respondent was the petitioning creditor. The Court dismissed the application with costs.

KM v AA Ltd (County Court)
Suffian appeared for the Claimant in an application to set aside default judgment arising from a personal guarantee. Submissions addressed the validity of the guarantee, compliance with the Law of Property Act 1925, and quantum. The Court granted the application and set aside the default judgment, which was quantified in the sum of £32,000.

AKB v WT Ltd (County Court)
Suffian represented the defendant insurer in successfully resisting an interim injunction relating to the payment of an indemnity under an insurance policy. The court dismissed the application, with costs.

Written work

Suffian provides advisory and drafting services across commercial litigation and civil procedure. Recent work includes advising on: contractual interpretation; recovery of a substantial loan; a shareholder dispute in a tech start-up; prospects of resisting a bankruptcy petition; and settling Statements of Case.

Other Areas

Alongside property and commercial litigation, Suffian has experience in:

• Probate-related disputes;
• Employment matters before the Employment Tribunal and County Court;
• Taxi licence revocation appeals to the Magistrates’ Court and the Crown Court.

He undertakes both written and oral advocacy, and regularly appears at case management, preliminary hearings, and final hearings.

Suffian’s advocacy skills are transferable across different areas of law, which enable him to distil complex issues, structure clear submissions, and respond effectively to judicial intervention.

Appeals

In his role as a Judicial Assistant to a High Court judge, Suffian undertook initial assessments of appeals from Circuit Judge level and produced concise summary notes to support the court’s reasoning in granting or refusing permission to appeal.

Suffian represents both appellants and respondents at permission to appeal hearings and substantive appeal hearings. He has appellate experience before the Court of Appeal (Civil Division), Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber), and in taxi licence revocation appeals.

For appellants, his Grounds of Appeal have secured permission to appeal. For respondents, his “permission note” have assisted judges at Circuit Judge and High Court level to refuse permission to appeal

Education

• BPTC – Graded as Outstanding (Nottingham)
• LL.M (General) with Distinction (Birmingham)
• LL.B (Hons) – Upper Second Class Degree with Honours (London)

Awards / Certifications

• Certificate of Honour (Middle Temple)
• Blackstone Scholarship (Major Award)
• Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence (Nottingham)
• LL.M Scholarship (Birmingham)

This is the Privacy Policy for:

Barrister: Suffian Ali Hussain

Address: 1EC Barristers, 3 King’s Bench Walk North, Inner Temple, London, EC4Y 7HR

The Purposes for which Personal Data is Processed:

Personal data will be processed in order to enable the provision of legal services, ie:

1. advice;
2. representation in court;
3. the drafting of legal documents.

It may also be necessary to retain personal data for conflict-checking purposes or for use in the defense of potential complaints, legal proceedings or fee disputes.

The Lawful Basis for Processing Personal Data

In some cases the subject of the personal data will have given consent to the processing of his or her personal data. Where explicit consent has not been given, personal data will be processed only when:

1. it is necessary for the performance of a contract with the person whose personal data is processed (or prior to entering such contract, in order to take steps at the request of the person whose personal data is processed); or when
2. it is necessary for the purposes of providing legal services.

Special Categories of Personal Data

It may be necessary to process personal data which constitute particularly sensitive special categories, ie personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation.

Such data will only be processed where processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.

Who will receive Personal Data

The recipients of the personal data processed will be:

1. instructing solicitors and clients;
2. courts and other tribunals to which documents are presented;
3. witnesses and potential witnesses, including expert witnesses;
4. other barristers, pupil barristers and other legal representatives;
5. regulatory authorities.

Retention Periods for Personal Data

Personal data in case files will generally be kept at least the end of one year after the maximum relevant limitation period has expired. The limitation period will be measured from the latest date it is possible to bring any appeal.

The retention period will be reviewed when the work has been completed. The retention period may be adjusted at that time.

International Data Transfers

In cases involving international disputes, it may be necessary to transfer personal data to countries outside the European Economic Area which have different data protection standards to those which apply in the European Economic Area. This will only be done for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. In the event this is necessary, appropriate safeguards will be in place to protect personal data, such as European Commission approved standard contractual clauses or the EU-US Privacy Shield. You have a right to ask for a copy of the relevant safeguard.

Individual’s Rights

If your personal data has been processed or held, you have a right to request access to (and rectification or erasure of) personal data; or to request restriction of processing concerning the data subject; or to object to processing; as well as the right to data portability. These rights may be limited where there is a legal requirement, or other legitimate grounds, to process your data.

If you wish to exercise these rights, please use the contact details above.

If you have unresolved concerns you also have the right to complain to data protection authorities.