020 7405 4600

Accessibility Icon
Mari Roberts

Mari Roberts

Partner

020 7405 4600

Contact by email

Mari trained at Sharpe Pritchard and has been at the firm since she qualified. She is a litigation specialist with over 30 years’ experience in advising public authorities and private clients in a wide range of disputes across all civil courts from the County Court up to the Supreme Court, and also in Tribunals. She also advises clients on alternative dispute resolution processes such as mediation and arbitration.

Mari’s role:

Mari leads a seasoned team handling housing and landlord-tenant disputes, advising local authorities and housing associations on both residential and commercial property issues. Her expertise includes anti-social behavior cases, disrepair claims, and urgent injunctions for planning breaches. She frequently advises on applications to the First-tier Tribunal and has a strong background in administrative law, defending public authorities in judicial reviews and representing claimants in tax-related appeals. Mari also offers guidance on contractual disputes, particularly in construction, and is part of an adjudication advice team, regularly advising on cost awards and providing agency work for solicitors and local authorities.

Skills and strengths:

Mari has a wealth of experience in the Civil Procedure Rules and court processes. She has a keen attention to detail and provides practical, straightforward advice to her clients.  Mari has built relationships with various chambers and individual barristers over the years and this is of particular benefit to clients where urgent action is required.

Mari Roberts is an amazingly approachable partner with an eagle eye for detail and attention to the client's requirements despite her busy case load.

Legal 500 2024 – Administrative and Public Law

Thanks Mari and thank you all for your hard work on this case and getting such a good outcome.

Local Authority client in an injunction case

Mari provided a first-class service across the board. Very personable, listened to our needs as a client, provided a clear strategy and way forward. Always made me feel that she was about resolution. I cannot fault the service and would definitely recommend to others’.

Private client, property dispute

Thanks so much guys for another great effort! I simply wouldn’t have anyone else look after my clients other than you guys. Simply class!

Limited company, construction adjudication

Mari Roberts is a safe pair of hands on judicial reviews

Legal 500 2021

Mari Roberts – the epitome of the perfect litigation solicitor’.

Legal 500 2021

  • Central Government
  • Corporate Clients
  • Housing Sector
  • Local Government
  • Adjudication
  • Commercial Contracts
  • Compulsory Purchase
  • Construction disputes resolution, including adjudication
  • Emergency injunctions
  • Housing Litigation
  • Judicial Review
  • Landlord and Tenant
  • Litigation
  • Mediation
  • Procurement challenges
  • Public Law
  • Supreme Court and Privy Council
  • Wolverhampton City Council and Others v London Gypsies and Travellers and Others [2023] UKSC 47: Mari has been acting for a number of local planning authorities who were Appellants in this Supreme Court case which confirmed that injunctions (interim or final) can be granted against ‘newcomers’. Following the Supreme Court judgment being handed down in late November 2023, cases which had been stayed pending the judgment had applications for final injunction orders restored for hearing; some of the cases involved over 100 named Defendants and Persons Unknown. Mari has been advising the local authorities in conjunction with Counsel as to the steps to be taken to successfully obtain final orders. Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council v Shane Heron & Ors, [2024] EWHC 1653 (KB).
  • Obtaining emergency out of hours injunctions for local authorities in the south and south east under s.187B of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and subsequently obtaining mandatory orders including mandatory provisions to vacate the land and to restore it.
  • Acting for a local authority in striking out a His Court claim against it and also obtaining an extended civil restraint order against the Claimant.
  • Mari acted for a Midlands based local authority and obtained an injunction to prevent trespass on the Council’s land and to prevent a shared right of way used by the local authority’s tenants being blocked by the Defendants.
  • Fiske, R (on the application of) v Test Valley Borough Council [2023] EWCA Civ 1495.  Mari acted for Test Valley BC in an appeal by a local resident against the grant of planning permission for a distribution network operator substation to connect to a proposed solar park. The appeal was dismissed.
  • Ocean v London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham [2019] EWCA Civ 1642. Mari acted for the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in successfully defending a procurement challenge and a Judicial Review following the grant by the Council of leases of two plots of land on which there are advertising towers. This was the first case in the Court of Appeal to consider the Concession Contracts Regulations 2016.
  • Acting for Dartford Borough Council in Loxleigh Investments v Dartford Borough Council [2019] EWHC 1274 (Ch). The Council was successful in in obtaining summary judgment on its counterclaim in relation to overage payments due to it under a transfer agreement entered into with a property developer.
  • Acting for a small private company in proceedings seeking an order for specific performance to compel a purchaser to complete the sale of a property bought at auction.

Introduction New rules are set to take effect on 1 October 2023, which will include the establishment of an intermediate track for claims ranging from £25,000 to £100,000. Prior to the new rules coming into effect, such cases would have been allocated to the multi-track. The new rules are being introduced under The Civil Procedure…

Read more