The Enfranchisement & Right to Manage Awards 2024 
Celebrating its 15th anniversary, the annual ERMAs has evolved into a prominent event, recognising excellence in the leasehold enfranchisement and right to manage sector. By participating in these prestigious awards, your organisation has the opportunity to receive the recognition it truly deserves.

Since its inception in 2009, the ERMAs have garnered significant support and momentum. Each year, we diligently gather feedback from stakeholders, conducting research to enhance the overall experience and fortify the significance, profile, and credibility of the event.

The winners for 2024 were announced at our awards ceremony on 11 July 2024, at The Leonardo Royal Hotel St. Paul's.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all of the winners, highly commended and finalists and express our gratitude to our judges, sponsors, and supporters. Your contributions make the ERMAs, now in its 15th year, possible.
Location
Leonardo Royal Hotel, London
St Pauls
10 Godliman Street, London
EC4V 5AJ
Date & Time
11 July 2024
18:00-00:00
2024 Winners 
Chambers of the Year

Winner: Tanfield
Highly Commended: Landmark Chambers

FINALISTS
Falcon Chambers 
Landmark Chambers 
Tanfield
Barrister of the Year

Winner: Piers Harrison, Tanfield 
Highly Commended: Nicola Muir, Tanfield 

FINALISTS
Ellodie Gibbons, Landmark Chambers
Nicola Muir, Tanfield
Piers Harrison, Tanfield
Solicitor of the Year

Winner:
Katie Cohen, Keystone Law 
Highly Commended:
Mark Chick, Bishop & Sewell LLP 

FINALISTS
Adam Davis, Coole Bevis LLP
Anushka Nicholas, Blacks Solicitors LLP
Claire Allan, Lawrence Stephens
Katie Cohen, Keystone Law 
Mark Chick, Bishop & Sewell LLP 
Matt Lewis, Commonhold and Leasehold Experts
Solicitors Firm of the Year

Winner:
Forsters
Highly Commended:
Brethertons Solicitors 

FINALISTS
Bishop & Sewell LLP
Brethertons Solicitors
Commonhold and Leasehold Experts Limited
Cripps LLP
Forsters
Lawrence Stephens
Valuer of the Year

Winner:
Henrietta Hammonds, Beckett and Kay LLP
Highly Commended:
Oliver French, Knight Frank

FINALISTS

Christopher Clarke, Julian Wilkins & Co Chartered Surveyors
Clive Scrivener, Scrivener Tibbatts Ltd
Henrietta Hammonds, Beckett and Kay LLP
Oliver French, Knight Frank
Valuers Firm of the Year

Winner:
Scrivener Tibbatts Ltd
Highly Commended:
Julian Wilkins & Co Chartered Surveyors

FINALISTS

Julian Wilkins & Co Chartered Surveyors
Scrivener Tibbatts Ltd
Project Manager of the Year

 Winner:
HAUS Block Management
Highly Commended:
Save My Service Charge Ltd

FINALISTS

HAUS Block Management
Levrant-Rich Ltd
Save My Service Charge Ltd
The Freehold Collective
Ringley Law
Urang Property Management Limited
Rising Star Award

Winner: Elizabeth Elliott, Lease Law Limited 
Highly Commended: Veronica Vundi, Cripps LLP

FINALISTS

Abigail Laborero, Brethertons Solicitors
Elizabeth Elliott, Lease Law Limited
Erin Stephenson, Cripps LLP
Georgia Ball, Property Management Legal Services Limited
Mieke Hitge, Urang Property Management Limited
Veronica Vundi, Cripps LLP
Professional of the Year

Winner: Emma Bush, Brethertons 
Highly Commended:
Claire Allan, Lawrence Stephens

FINALISTS

Claire Allan, Lawrence Stephens
Emma Bush, Brethertons 
John Henderson, The Freehold Collective
Congratulations to all of our 2024 winners!
2024 Criteria 
Chambers of the Year
This is an award category for an COMPANY/ORGANISATION

Who should enter: Chambers who act for freeholders and / or leaseholders in enfranchisement and / or right to manage matters, including service charge issues.

JUDGING CRITERIA
Criteria Point 1 - What has made your chambers stand out over the past 12 months? (up to 300 words)

Criteria Point 2 - Please supply details of successful lease extensions / collective enfranchisement / right to manage applications handled (up to 300 words)

Criteria Point 3 - Please supply details of promotion, such as promoting knowledge of leasehold law and law reform by speaking at conferences, writing articles, contributing ideas on reform or similar (up to 300 words) 

- Please submit a minimum of 2 testimonials to support your entry. Testimonials must be dated within the past 6 months.
Barrister of the Year 
*This is an award category for an INDIVIDUAL

Who should enter: Barristers who act for freeholders and / or leaseholders in enfranchisement and / or right to manage matters.

JUDGING CRITERIA
Criteria Point 1 - What impact have you made within your role/chambers over the past 12 months? (up to 300 words)

Criteria Point 2 - Has provided an outstanding contribution to cases within the last 18 months and/or contribution to their chambers and/or residential leasehold and commonhold Law Reform (up to 300 words)

Criteria Point 3 - Please supply details of self promotion, such as promoting knowledge of leasehold law and law reform by speaking at conferences, writing articles,  contributing ideas on reform or similar (up to 300 words)

- Please submit a minimum of 2 testimonials to support your entry. Testimonials must be dated within the past 6 months.
Solicitor of the Year 
*This is an award category for an INDIVIDUAL

Who should enter: Individual Solicitors who act for freeholders and / or leaseholders in enfranchisement and / or right to manage matters

JUDGING CRITERIA
Criteria Point 1 - What impact have you made within your role/company over the past 12 months? Your response should include reference to one of more of the following: contribution to cases within the last 12 months and/or successful lease extensions/ collective enfranchisement or RTM applications handled (up to 300 words)

Criteria Point 2  - Excellence in client communications and quality of service (up to 300 words)

Criteria Point 3 - Evidence of continued professional development, self promotion and leadership skills (up to 300 words)

- Please submit a minimum of 2 testimonials to support your entry. Testimonials must be dated within the past 6 months.
Solicitors Firm of the Year
*This is an award category for an COMPANY/ORGANISATION

Who should enter: Solicitor firms who act for freeholders and / or leaseholders in enfranchisement and / or right to manage matters

JUDGING CRITERIA
Criteria Point 1 - What has made your firm stand out over the past 12 months? Your response should include reference to one or more of the following: expertise applied to cases within the last 12 months, industry leadership and/or financial performance  (up to 300 words)

Criteria Point 2 - Details of excellence in client communication and business development (up to 300 words)

Criteria Point 3 - Details of staff development and training initiatives (up to 300 words)

- Please submit a minimum of 2 testimonials to support your entry. Testimonials must be dated within the past 6 months. 
Valuer of the Year 
*This is an award category for an INDIVIDUAL

Who should enter: Valuers who act for freeholders and / or leaseholders in enfranchisement and / or right to manage matters.

JUDGING CRITERIA
Criteria Point 1 - What impact have you made within your role or the industry in the past 12 months? (up to 300 words)

Criteria Point 2 -  Details of expertise applied to cases within the last 12 months  (up to 300 words)

Criteria Point 3 - Details of excellence in client communications and quality of service (up to 300 words)

- Please supply a sample valuation report and terms of business to support your entry. .

- Please submit a minimum of 2 testimonials to support your entry. Testimonials must be dated within the past 6 months
Valuers Firm of the Year 
*This is an award category for an COMPANY/ORGANISATION

Who should enter: Valuer firms who act for freeholders and / or leaseholders in enfranchisement and / or right to manage matters.

JUDGING CRITERIA
Criteria Point 1 - What has made your firm stand out over the past 12 months? Your response should include reference to one or more of the following: expertise applied to cases within the last 12 months, industry leadership and/or financial performance (up to 300 words)

Criteria Point 2 - Details of excellence in client communication and business development (up to 300 words)

Criteria Point 3 - Details of staff development and training initiatives (up to 300 words)

- Please supply a sample valuation report and terms of business to support your entry. .

- Please submit a minimum of 2 testimonials to support your entry. Testimonials must be dated within the past 6 months.
Project Manager of the Year
*This is an award category for an INDIVIDUAL or COMPANY/ORGANISATION

Who should enter?
This category is open to individuals and companies who deal with project management and assist leaseholders with statutory lease extensions/group lease extensions, freehold purchase and right to manage matters overseeing legal, conveyancing & organisational duties including paralegal, conveyancer, legal executive, property management cos (and any other relevant positions )

JUDGING CRITERIA 
Criteria Point 1 - What has made you or your business stand out over the past 12 months? (up to 300 words)

Criteria Point 2 - Please supply details of how you demonstrate a clear and effective project management service (up to 300 words)

Criteria Point 3 - Evidence of depth of knowledge and expertise applied to projects within the last 12 months (up to 300 words)

- Please submit a minimum of 2 testimonials to support your entry. Testimonials must be dated within the past 6 months.
Professional of the Year 
*This is an award category for an INDIVIDUAL

Who should enter:  This category is open to individuals who act in enfranchisement and / or right to manage matters including solicitors, valuers, accountants, practice managers and other professional advisers who have been in the sector / qualified for more than 2 years.

 JUDGING CRITERIA
Criteria Point 1 - What impact have you made within your role or the industry in the past 12 months? Your response should include reference to one or more of the following: contribution to cases/projects within the last 12 months and/or details of how you are an active participant in the collaboration or development of the enfranchisement or right to manage industry (up to 300 words)

Criteria Point 2 - Please supply evidence of applied knowledge and expertise in your field (up to 300 words)

Criteria Point 3 - Please supply details of continued professional development, self promotion and leadership skills.  (up to 300 words) 

- Please submit a minimum of 2 testimonials to support your entry. Testimonials must be dated within the past 6 months.
Rising Star Award
*This is an award category for an INDIVIDUAL

Who should enter? This category is open to individuals who act for freeholders and / or leaseholders in enfranchisement and / or right to manage matters including solicitors, valuers, and other professional advisers who have been qualified or in the sector for up to 2 years.

JUDGING CRITERIA
Criteria Point 1 - What impact have you made within your role or the industry in the past 12 months? Your response should include reference to one or more of the following: contribution to cases/projects within the last 12 months and/or successful lease extensions/ collective enfranchisement or RTM applications handled (up to 300 words)

Criteria Point 2 - Excellence in client communications and quality of service (up to 300 words)

Criteria Point 3 - Please supply details of continued and personal professional development and future goals (up to 300 words)

- Please submit a minimum of 2 testimonials to support your entry. Testimonials must be dated within the past 6 months.
Entry Process

All you need to do is register your account and then you can enter as many categories as you like.

Please follow the entry form and ensure that all three criteria questions are answered fully and within the word count provided.

Please ensure you upload a minimum of two testimonials to your entry which are dated within 6 months of the entry deadline.

Entries will close on Friday 19 April 2024 at 23:59.
Table & Ticket Prices - 2024 
Premium Table of 10
£2800 plus VAT (Subscriber Price: £2600 plus VAT)
Includes drinks reception, entertainment, a table for 10 people in premium position with a 3 course meal, half a bottle of wine, half a bottle of water, tea/coffee and petit fours per person.
Plus one bottle of champagne for the table.

Standard Table of 10
£2600 plus VAT (Subscriber Price: £2400 plus VAT)
Includes drinks reception, entertainment, a table for 10 people with a 3 course meal, half a bottle of wine, half a bottle of water, tea/coffee and petit fours per person.

Individual Ticket
£260 plus VAT (Subscriber Price: £240 plus VAT)
Includes drinks reception, entertainment, 3 course meal, half a bottle of wine, half a bottle of water, tea/coffee and petit fours per person.

Judges 2024
The awards support the following charities, kindly nominated by our judges.

Child Bereavement UK 
www.childbereavementuk.org/

Evelina London Children's Charity 
www.evelinacharity.org.uk/

MIND
www.mind.org.uk/
Group 1
This judging group will consist of an ALEP panel who will make up group 1 and they will be scoring the following categories.

Barrister of the Year, Chambers of the Year and Professional of the Year.
Eleanor Murray
ALEP Advisory Committee member  
Eleanor heads up the Enfranchisement and Residential Disputes team at CMS.  She is an expert in her field advising on all aspects of residential disputes with a particular specialism in enfranchisement where her clients include Prime Central London landed estates, investors and developers. She also regularly deals with and right to manage instructions as well as 1987 Act rights of first refusal, residential service charge disputes and Estate Management Schemes.
 
She currently sits on the ALEP Advisory Committee and is a member of the Residential BPF Board Committee.

Damian Greenish
CONSULTANT SOLICITOR AND ALEP HONORARY PRESIDENT, ALEp
Damian Greenish has been a solicitor for over 40 years. Until his retirement as a partner in 2016, he was senior partner and then chairman of Pemberton Greenish LLP. He is now a senior consultant to the leading Mayfair firm Forsters LLP.  Throughout his career, he has taken a close interest in the subject of leasehold reform, advising both landlords and tenants on all aspects of residential leasehold law, with particular interest in enfranchisement. He has been involved in many of the landmark leasehold reform cases in the Supreme Court, House of Lords, Court of Appeal, High Court and the valuation tribunals. He has been the joint editor of Hague on Leasehold Enfranchisement since 1998, the 7th Edition being published in 2020. He is a speaker at and acts as a regular chairman of the leading conferences and seminars in this specialised sector of the law.  He is chairman of the Trustees of the Sloane Stanley Estate (a mixed-use Estate in west Chelsea, London); a Vice-President (and former Chairman of the Council) of the Chelsea Society; a member of The Law Society; a member of the British Property Federation’s Residential Property Management Committee, Honourary President of the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP) and a member of the Commonhold Council.
John Midgley 
SOLICITOR AT SEDDONS & ALEP DIRECTOR
John is a partner in the Property Disputes team and heads up the specialist Leasehold Enfranchisement team at Seddons.  He is a leading practitioner in the field of collective enfranchisement, lease extensions and right to manage claims, having been involved in numerous highly contentious cases. John writes regularly for specialist publications on a variety of enfranchisement and landlord and tenant issues.

He has been identified as one of the top 100 influential people in the leasehold property sector, appearing for several years in the 'News on The Block' "Hot 100" list which includes a mix of professionals, politicians, property owners and investors.

John was instrumental in pioneering the Leasehold Reform Amendment Act 2014 and continues to work with parliamentarians on issues within the leasehold sector.
Henrietta Hammonds
ALEP VALUER & COMMItTEE MEMBER,
BECKETT & KAY
Henrietta is a partner at Beckett and Kay, a firm founded in 2002 specialising in landlord and tenant matters. She is the youngest ever woman to become a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (“RICS”) and is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a Member of the Institute of Residential Property Management. 
She specialises particularly in enfranchisement and diminution cases, and has an interest in alternative dispute resolution. She is a qualified arbitrator and an RICS-accredited mediator. 
In enfranchisement cases, Henrietta acts for landlords, intermediate landlords, and tenants. She has appeared at the First-tier Tribunal (Lands Chamber) and assisted in cases in the Upper Tribunal and beyond. She is a member of the advisory committee of the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (“ALEP”). 
Henrietta regularly lectures on valuation topics, including at the RICS Dilapidations Conference, RICS Valuation Conference, ALEP lectures and conferences, and other professionally organised seminars. 


Group 2
This judging group will consist of the judges below and they will be scoring the following categories.

Solicitors Firm of the Year, Solicitor of the Year and Rising Star Award..
Jonathan Channing
director, jc property consultancy
Jonathan is a property management consultant specialising in all matters ‘block management’. He works with RMCs and RTMs, managing agents, and talented suppliers to the industry. And to ensure he can consider issues from all angles, he is an RMC director twice over in London and Herts respectively. A fellow of the TPI and pro-bono Honorary Consultant to the FPRA, Jonathan enjoys a helicopter view of the sector and is in a strong position to assist and guide all stakeholders in making sustainably good decisions.

Mairéad Carroll 
Associate Director, Residential Standards, rics 
Mairéad is a Senior Specialist at RICS where she leads on work relating to property agency and management. With a long career in residential real estate.

Mairéad has previously worked in the housing association sector in policy and external affairs and on the Board at Innisfree Housing Association. Currently reviewing the framework of the RICS property standards.
Mairéad also represents RICS on a number of groups including the Technical Support Group to the Commonhold Council, the steering group for Homebuying and Selling Group, the Construction Industry Council’s Housing Panel and the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team Material Information Steering Group.
Nicola Muir
Barrister, tanfield chambers   
Nicola Muir is a senior member of the Tanfield Chambers property team. She is a specialist in enfranchisement law and all aspects of landlord and tenant law. Nicola regularly appears in the FTT and Upper Tribunal in relation to enfranchisement claims, notable cases in which she has appeared include Tibber v Buckley (CA), Leaseholders of Foundling Court and others v Camden LBC, Allied London (Brunswick) Ltd and others (UT),   Eastern Pyramid Group Corp SA v Spire House RTM Co. Ltd (UT), Westminster City Council v CH2006 Ltd (UT), Corvan (Properties) Ltd v Abdel-Mahmoud (CA) and LM Homes Ltd v Queen Court Freehold Co. Ltd (FTT) . Nicola is recommended by both the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners which describes her as “Approachable, pragmatic and knowledgeable”. Nicola was shortlisted by the Legal 500 as Junior of the Year 2019 for Real Estate, Environment and Planning. In addition to her busy practice, Nicola has a regular column on legal issues relating to the residential property in the Estates Gazette.
Group 3
This judging group will consist of the judges below and they will be scoring the following categories.

Valuer of the Year, Valuers Firm of the Year and Project Manager of the Year. 
Yashmin Mistry 
managing partner, jpc
Yashmin Mistry is a Partner and leads JPC Law’s Property Practice Group. Yashmin is a leading expert in leasehold enfranchisement and landlord & tenant matters and is widely acknowledged as a thought leader in her field. She is influential not only as a practitioner and commentator, but increasingly as someone asked to play an active role in shaping how the law works.  Yashmin is a “Recognised Expert” in the prestigious Legal 500 guide as well as receiving recognition in the 2014 to 2018 “Top 100 Most Influential People in the Residential Sector” property guide.
Natasha Rees 
senior partner, forsters llp
A Lawyer Hot 100, described as ‘standout’ and ‘very high profile’ in Chambers 2024, and at the ‘forefront of Forsters’ success’ in Legal 500 2024, Natasha was elected to be Senior Partner in September 2022.
 
Natasha is well known for working with leaseholders, protecting their interests through the Courts and Tribunals. Most notably, she acted for the leaseholders in their successful nuisance action against the Tate Gallery in the Supreme Court, known as Fearn and others (Appellants) v Board of Trustees of the Tate Gallery (Respondent). As an enfranchisement specialist, she also acts for leaseholders in leading enfranchisement cases. She succeeded in the House of Lords in the leading cases Aggio and Sportelli and created the test enfranchisement structure for the Ministry of Defence, going on to lead on the successful proceedings relating to their UK property portfolio, known as Annington Property Ltd v Secretary of State for Defence 2023. As a result of this claim, the MOD was able to re-acquire their UK property portfolio at a fraction of its market value. he is recognised in The Legal 500 Hall of Fame and as a Band 1 Ranked Lawyer in the Chambers UK Guide 2025.
Bob Smytherman
HON CHAIRMAN, FPRA
Bob Smytherman has been a committee member of the FPRA for over 15 years and became Hon Chairman in 2008.
He is currently a director of his own residents’ association and has been since 1992, taking over as chairman in 1995 and was instrumental in removing a number of ineffective managing agents and along with his fellow RMC Directors has self-managed the Worthing estate since 2001 saving on agent’s fees, which has enabled them to spend more on the block itself. Bob was also responsible for challenging the RMC lease with the freeholder on building insurance and as a result they are now free to purchase their own policy. Their residents’ association is formally recognised by the local authorities for consultations by West Sussex County Council and the Borough Council, as well as other public organisations and includes being a statutory consultee for Licensing and Planning applications.
Thank You To Our Event Sponsors  
Top Tips for writing your ERMAs award entry 
If you are proud of your organisation, and keen to enter the awards but just not sure where to start, here are some useful tips to get you started:

  1. Judges’ Point of View (POV) 
Take a look at the group of judges for your category and consider your submission from their perspective. Remember that they will be reading and scoring a lot of entries, so make sure your entry stands out for the right reasons!

  1. Allow plenty of time 
Start planning as soon as you can; writing your submission in stages rather than all in one sitting is usually more effective, as this will give you ample time to think it through and ensure you are preparing it in line with the required criteria. Ask your colleagues for their input in good time too so that you can refine your key points; by doing so, your entry will be well-considered, authentic and as compelling as possible. Then give yourself at least one week before the deadline to edit and proofread your award entry, as the judges can always tell if an entrant has been rushed in their thinking and composition! Read the document aloud, check for repetition, remove unnecessary detail and pick up all the typos and errors you can. If possible, also ask one or two colleagues with ‘fresh eyes’ to check it. If someone particular in your organisation needs to approve your entry before submission, allowing plenty of time at this stage means you can also incorporate any of their feedback, which could be that crucial last piece of the puzzle!.

  1. Detail 
Read the entire entry form once you have entered the awards and before you put the proverbial pen to paper so that you can gather all the information that is required about your business in a timely fashion! Whilst it can be tempting to delay filling in some of the more mundane details until the last minute, this information can also take time to get right so don’t be caught out!

  1. Criteria
    Each category has set criteria, which must be addressed. Read these carefully and ensure that you follow them to the letter, answering each point concisely and clearly; this will give you or your organisation the very best chance of doing well in the awards.

  1. Evidence  
    Provide good evidence for your claims, either within your supporting testimonials or, preferably, within the body of your entry.
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