Natalie Pratt
Call: 2018
Barrister
Natalie has a busy practice, and has appeared in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court, County Court and First-tier Tribunal. Natalie specialises in injunction proceedings (including against persons unknown and in the context of protests) and committals, as well as property litigation.
In particular, Natalie appeared in Teledyne UK Limited v Gao & Ors [2024] EWHC 3538 (KB), Thurrock Council & Anr v Adams & Ors [2024] EWHC 2576 (KB) and [2024] EWHC 2750 (KB), Arla Foods Limited & Anr v Persons Unknown & Ors [2024] EWHC 1952 (Ch) and Wolverhampton City Council & Ors v London Gypsies and Travellers & Ors [2023] UKSC 47 (amongst others).
Natalie is always keen to discuss new instructions, including those on an urgent basis, and has extensive experience of without notice and short notice applications.
Natalie specialises in injunction proceedings generally, and especially against persons unknown. She has experience, both led and un-led, of without notice hearings, return date hearings, directions hearings, final hearings/trials and committals, including (but not limited to) in the following cases.
Protest injunctions
- Teledyne UK Limited v Gao & Ors [2024] EWHC 3538 (KB)
- Thurrock Council & Anr v Adams & Ors [2024] EWHC 2576 (KB); [2024] EWHC 2750 (KB); and [2022] EWHC 1324 (KB)
- Arla Foods Limited & Anr v Persons Unknown & Ors [2024] EWHC 1952 (Ch)
- MBR Acres Limited & Ors v Free the MBR Beagles & Ors [2021] EWHC 2996 (QB) (trial judgment awaited)
‘Traveller injunctions’ (Town and Country Planning Act 1990, s187B)
- Rochdale MBC v Heron & Ors [2024] EWHC 1653 (KB)
- Test Valley BC v Bowers & Ors [2024] EWHC 1743 (KB)
- Basingstoke & Deane BC v Loveridge [2024] EWHC 1828 (KB)
- Wolverhampton City Council & Ors v London Gypsies and Travellers & Ors [2023] UKSC 47
- London Borough of Barking and Dagenham & Ors v Persons Unknown & Ors [2022] EWCA Civ 13
- London Borough of Havering & Ors v Stokes & Ors [2021] EWCA Civ 1129
- London Borough of Barking and Dagenham & Ors v Persons Unknown & Ors [2021] EWHC 1201 (QB)
Other injunction proceedings
Natalie has experience of injunction matters more generally, including:
- Appearing successfully for fixed charge receivers to resist an application for an injunction restraining the imminent sale of a property
- Obtaining mandatory injunctive relief to secure the removal of a porch that had been constructed in breach of a freehold covenant
- London Borough of Barking and Dagenham v Gbadegesin [2023] EWHC 2371 (KB), obtaining a final injunction pursuant to the Local Government Act 1972, s222 to secure compliance with improvement notices served under the Housing Act 2004, ss11-12
- Obtaining an injunction to secure the return of goods pursuant to the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977
Natalie has also appeared in committal proceedings, both led and un-led, following alleged breaches of injunction orders, including in:
- Fitzwilliam Land Company & Ors v Milton [2023] EWHC 3406 (KB)
- MBR Acres Limited v Curtin (2023) (awaiting judgment)
- Thurrock Council & Anr v Cook & Ors (2022)
- MBR Acres Limited v Maher (aka Thibeault) & Anr [2022] EWHC 1123 (QB)
- Brentwood Borough Council v Moran & Ors (2022)
- BrEntwood Borough Council v Ward & Ors (2022)
Natalie has an academic background in property and trusts; she has a PhD on a property-related topic, and lectured the law property and trusts before coming to the Bar.
Natalie is instructed regularly in property related matters. Her recent work includes:
- Appearing in an application to the Upper-Tribunal under the Law of Property Act 1925, s84 to modify or discharge restrictive covenants
- The trial of a claim seeking the enforcement of a charging order, where a counterclaim of a common intention constructive trust and/or resulting trust was made
- A claim seeking the unwinding of a tenancy agreement pursuant to the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, as amended by the Consumer Protection (Amendment) Regulations 2014
- Advising on and appearing in injunction proceedings to restrain breaches of freehold covenants
- Advising on and appearing in service charge disputes (including Part 7 proceedings to recover unpaid service charge and First-tier Tribunal proceedings)
- Advising on and drafting Part 8 proceedings seeking to compel the execution of transfer documents and/or seeking vesting orders
- Various applications pursuant to the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996
- Lease forfeiture proceedings
- Various other possession hearings, including proceedings against trespassers
Natalie accepts instructions in wills, trusts and estate matters. Natalie’s recent work includes:
- A mediation relating to an imperfect lifetime gift by a deceased
- Advising on the presumption of due execution of a will
- Drafting part 7 proceedings for the revocation of a grant of probate
- Advising on the creation and validity of testamentary trusts
- Drafting part 8 proceedings seeking vesting orders, directions as to the administration of an estate and the removal of an executor
Natalie is experienced in charity litigation. In particular, she was instructed as sole counsel in:
- The Knightland Foundation v Charity Commission of England and Wales [2021] UKFTT 0365 (GRC) (a four-day appeal to the First-tier Tribunal challenging the appointment of interim managers)
- Judicial review proceedings, challenging the Charity Commission’s use of its power at the Charities Act 2011, s337(4)(b), and in which permission was granted on two of the four grounds of challenge
- 2014 – 2020 PhD, King’s College London
- 2016 – 2018 BPTC, BPP Law School (Outstanding)
- 2012 – 2013 BCL, University of Oxford (subject prize in Advanced Property and Trusts)
- 2009 – 2012 LLB Law (First Class Honours), University of Surrey
- 2018 Buchanan Prize, Lincoln’s Inn
- 2016 Lord Denning Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn
- 2016 Hardwicke Entrance Award, Lincoln’s Inn
- 2014 Subject prize in Advanced Property and Trusts, University of Oxford
- The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn
- Chancery Bar Association
- Property Bar Association
- ‘Recreation easements after Regency Villas Title Ltd and others v Diamond Resorts Ltd and others [2018] UKSC 57’ [2019] 7 Journal of Planning and Environment Law 638
- ‘Community property claims in the personhood perspective: part II’ (2018) 30(1) Denning Law Journal 85
- ‘A proprietary right to recreate’ [2017] 4 Conveyancer and Property Lawyer 312
- ‘Community property claims in the personhood perspective: part I’ (2017) 29 Denning Law Journal 17
- ‘Confrontation, contentious use, and a West Yorkshire chip shop’ [2016] 5 Conveyancer and Property Lawyer 414
- ‘A trap for unwary developers? The operation of section 62 Law of Property Act 1925 following Wood v Waddington’ [2015] 12 Journal of Planning and Environment Law 1341
- ‘The by right defence in village green registration’ (2015) 7(2) International Journal of Law in the Built Environment 96
- ‘Analysing conservation covenants’ [2014] 12 Journal of Planning and Environment Law 1310
- ‘The setting of the sun on the village green era?’ (2014) 26 Denning Law Journal 234
- ‘Conservation covenants: a proprietary analysis’ [2014] 78 Conveyancer and Property Lawyer 328
- ‘The application of the equitable doctrine of laches to the rectification of the town and village green register’ [2014] 6 Journal of Planning and Environment Law 588
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