Andrew Koffman
Head of Litigation
This is the second article in our series examining common commercial landlord and tenant pitfalls. In our previous article, we explored the risks of allowing a commercial tenant to move into premises before a lease is formally completed. You can read that article here.
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Jack Daly
In June 2026, the Government launched its consultation, A Fairer End to Relationships, proposing significant reforms to the law governing relationship breakdown. One of the consultation’s key areas of focus is whether greater legal protection should be available to cohabiting couples, particularly those who own property together but are not married or in a civil partnership.
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Trainee Solicitor
Caragh joined Bermans in October 2026 and is a Trainee Solicitor in our Litigation team.
She studied law at the University of Sheffield, graduating with a first. She then went on to complete the LPC at the University of Law in Manchester.
Outside of work, Caragh enjoys travelling, reading and pilates.
E: caragh.lal@bermans.co.uk
T: 0161 383 2133
Andrew Koffman
Head of Litigation
If you are a commercial landlord, you may have a potential tenant who is very keen to go into occupation. Terms may have been agreed with them and it may seem a certainty that a lease will be completed shortly. It can be tempting to allow the tenant to take occupation and start paying rent before the legal paperwork is completed, in anticipation of imminent completion.
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Mike Carter
The recent High Court decision requiring Prince Harry and six other claimants to make an interim payment of approximately £9.5 million towards the defendant’s legal costs has brought into sharp focus an important aspect of litigation: costs.
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Elizabeth Wilkinson
Many business owners start companies with friends, family members or long-time colleagues. While those relationships may provide a strong foundation, they offer little protection when disagreements arise, responsibilities become unequal or the business comes under financial pressure. We regularly advise business owners whose working relationships have broken down, often because important legal and financial safeguards were never put in place.
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James Thornton
Supreme Court Clarifies the Scope of Contractual Compensation Clauses: Implications for Commercial Contracts
The UK Supreme Court’s decision in Great Asia Maritime Ltd v Orion Shipping and Trading LLC [2026] UKSC 23 provides important guidance on the relationship between contractual remedies and common law rights. Although the dispute arose from a ship sale agreement, the judgment has wider significance for businesses entering into commercial contracts across all sectors.
Continue ReadingNorth west law firm Bermans has strengthened its litigation team with the appointment of James Thornton as a senior associate.
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Senior AssociateJames joined Bermans in May 2026 and is Senior Associate in our Litigation team.
James qualified as a solicitor in 2011. Prior to this, he worked in the Shipping and Logistics industry for one of the main ocean-going carriers at the time. Before joining Bermans, James worked for national and international law firms and was head of litigation at an established Warrington firm.
James has extensive experience advising on all forms of commercial disputes including the niche area of carriage of goods. He has also managed claims in the specialist lists of the Admiralty Court and Commercial Court as well as handing matters in the County Court.
James is regularly instructed to advise on insurance disputes and property litigation, whilst also having a private client practice, advising in areas of law such as contentious probate, trust disputes, defamation, misuse of private information and consumer disputes.
Outside of work, James supports Everton F.C and has a keen interest in the sports of cricket and tennis.
E: James.Thornton@bermans.co.uk
T: 0151 224 0525
Mike Carter
Sean Hughes spent much of his life making audiences laugh. Yet the legal dispute that followed his death is a serious reminder that when it comes to wills, there is little room for humour. The decade‑long court battle over the comedian’s estate shows, in stark terms, how informal drafting can leave even clear intentions tied up in costly uncertainty.
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