Dev Desai is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution Group.
An expert real estate litigator, Dev advises on landlord and tenant disputes, representing developers in the removal of legal obstacles to their projects and assisting financial institutions to enforce security against land.
He also has extensive experience advising on real estate-related insolvency, specialist telecommunications matters and professional negligence actions.
Dev’s clients benefit from his background as an e-commerce entrepreneur and his experience working in a regulated industry while a manager at Network Rail.
Dev is recommended by leading legal directories. In 2021, The Legal 500 UK noted that he is “highly responsive”, has “excellent legal and industry-relevant knowledge, overlaid with a very practical and commercial perspective and approach to cases” and demonstrates “hands-on partner-level leadership”. He has been commended by Chambers UK for his “very down to earth style” and the “personal touch that makes his clients feel valued”.
- Acting for a leading renewable energy company to successfully rectify compound RPI rent review provisions which would have otherwise lead to exorbitant rental levels and in rent review arbitration.
- Representing the liquidators of a property finance company in cross claims for economic duress, contractual breaches and enforcement of security.
- Acting for a developer of luxury residential property in High Court litigation and a mediation against a high-profile financier arising out of breaches of a property swap and development deal.
- Representing the anchor tenant of London’s iconic Walkie-Talkie building in disputes with the landlord and neighbouring occupiers in relation to defects in the building and private nuisance.
- Advising a telecommunications operator and infrastructure manager in disputes arising out of network expansion and upgrades and the Electronic Communications Code.
Education
- 2002 – 2003 · College of Law (London), LPC
- 2001 – 2002 · Nottingham Trent University, Management Diploma
- 1999 · MCSE (Systems Engineer, Microsoft-Certified)
- 1996 – 1999 · University of London: Queen Mary College, LLB Honours
memberships & associations
- Law Society of England and Wales
- Property Litigation Association