People

Practice overview

Stephen Barratt joined KBG Chambers as a tenant in October 2024, following the successful completion of his pupillage. He accepts instructions in the following practice areas:

• Commercial & Insolvency
• Inquests
• Personal Injury
• Professional Negligence
• Property & Land Law
• TOLATA
• Trust, Probate & Estates

Stephen regularly appears in the County Court and he has also appeared in the High Court, specialist tribunals and inquest proceedings. Stephen is building a broad practice with a focus on chancery work, including contract disputes, trusts and estates, probate, landlord and tenant, TLATA and other property matters.

Stephen has a busy and expanding paperwork-based practice. Stephen has, for instance:

• Prepared a Reply and Defence to a Counterclaim raising issues of proprietary estoppel and unjust enrichment.
• Prepared a Defence to a debt claim arising from a Farm Business Tenancy which resulted in the discontinuance of the claim.
• Advised and drafted particulars in a Highways Act claim resulting in a favourable settlement for the injured client.
• Drafted pleadings and successfully represented landlords (private, HA and local authority) in various residential possession claims.
• Prepared pleadings for homeowners and contractors in domestic building disputes.
• Drafted Particulars of Claim in a dispute arising from the obstruction of a private right of way.
• Advised on and drafted applications for orders for sale and equitable accounting.
• Advised on an Inheritance Act claim.
• Advised a local authority in a dispute with a water company over highway drainage.
• Advised and drafted Particulars of Claim in a professional negligence claim concerning a defective will.
• Provided advice (written or in conference) in a wide range of matters including professional negligence, employer’s and public liability, landlord and tenant, neighbour disputes, TLATA.

Stephen worked closely with members of the Civil team during pupillage, gaining experience of property matters, including in relation to common land and manorial rights.

Before coming to the Bar, Stephen worked in the public sector where he advised on and coordinated delivery at local level of various government schemes.

Stephen completed his Bar Professional Training Course at BPP Holborn where he was awarded ‘Outstanding’ and a Distinction following completion of the LLM component. Outside of his practice, Stephen enjoys running and hiking on Dartmoor, where he lives with his family.