Robert Hill
Director
Call Email Download vCard Download CV Save to portfolio Print profile
"Robert Hill is highly knowledgeable and pragmatic, providing a steady hand on the tiller."
(The Legal 500, 2023)
Robert has worked at Freeths for nearly 15 years, having trained with the firm.
He has a broad range of litigation experience and Robert has acted for a wide variety of clients, from private individuals through to large commercial organisations (including in the public and not for profit sectors). He is therefore well placed to understand not only the needs of his own clients, but, significantly, those of the other parties to the dispute.
Having specialised his practice, the majority of Robert’s case work concerns contentious trust and probate matters. Robert also deals with lifetime disputes over assets and disputes in the Court of Protection.
Complementing the above, Robert acts in contractual disputes (commercial and professional negligence) and disputes concerning property, including disputes over jointly owned property.
Robert is a keen advocate of developing case strategy at the initial stages of litigation, providing a clear route to achieving client outcomes. Robert can provide helpful and practical advice from the outset, with a particular focus on how to resolve disputes in a cost-effective and timely way. He is sensitive to the needs of each client, focusing on the commercial and practical realities of the dispute.
Robert is listed as a Recommended Lawyer and recognised as a Rising Star in The Legal 500 (2024 edition) in Contentious Trusts and Probate.
Please see below for further details of Robert’s case work.
Legal Services
Dispute Resolution
Robert acts for companies and individuals in dispute over contractual arrangements. He has successfully brought claims on behalf of parties who have suffered at the hands of negligent professional advice and he has also defended numerous contractual misrepresentation claims.
Recent Work
- Defending a well known national company in relation to a multi-million pound disputed commercial supply contract.
- Successfully defending a company at the pre-action stage from accusations that it had conspired with an employee of competitor to use the competitor’s confidential information.
- Acting on a case in relation to a £1 million breach of contract claim against a company and securing a seven figure settlement figure from a third party defendant.
Contentious Probate Solicitors
Robert deals with all types of inheritance disputes: will disputes, administration disputes (including the removal of executors and disputes over estate accounts) and claims under the Inheritance Act 1975. Robert also regularly deals with trust disputes and acts in cases involving breach of duty by trustees / trustee removal, as well as disputes over the interpretation of trust instruments (construction disputes).
Robert is a full member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists.
Recent Work
- Successfully defending a will challenge brought by a claimant against his defendant clients. The claim would have meant the defendants’ losing their home, but Robert successfully secured the transfer of the property over to his clients through High Court litigation.
- Negotiating the winding up of a disputed will trust, where the trustee had acted in breach of trust. Robert secured a six figure payment for the client when trust monies would otherwise have been inaccessible to the client for the duration of the trust.
- Representing various clients in Inheritance Act claims, resolving matters before trial through negotiation.
Property Disputes
Robert’s property practice concerns non-landlord and tenant property disputes. He is a specialist in boundary disputes, and also acts in cases concerning rights/easements and covenants over land. Robert also regularly acts in disputes over jointly owned property (claims under the Trust of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996), where the parties’ shares in the property are disputed or if they cannot agree over a property sale.
He has acted in several cases in Property Chamber, First Tier Tribunal, and is familiar with this specialist jurisdiction, as well as the County Court
Recent Work
- Acting for a national housing developer in relation to a boundary dispute and negotiating a settlement which allowed the development to continue.
- Successfully defending a fraudulent claim brought against a charity concerning a series of property transfers and a deed purporting to create a right of way. Robert resolved the issues concerning the title registration, defended the claim against the company concerning an alleged right over their land and negotiated a costs contribution from the claimant in respect of his client’s costs.
- Acting for the successful claimant in the underlying action behind the reported party wall case of Fattahi v Charles Grovesnor Limited [2019] EWHC 3497 (QB)
Court of Protection Disputes
Robert is an experienced practitioner in Court of Protection matters. This area of work requires an additional degree of sensitivity and Robert acts in a broad range of different contentious cases, such as attorney / deputy removals, challenges to powers of attorney, and disputes over how a patient’s finances should be managed. Robert can also assist in cases involving financial abuse and disputed gifts.
Recent Work
- Successfully preventing an application which would have lead to a family member becoming sole deputy for a patient. Following an initial hearing, the court ordered the appointment of a panel deputy.
- Acting for a professional deputy in a difficult case concerning whether the deputy should continue in her role and how the patient’s finances should be managed.
- Acting for a local authority deputyship team in a dispute over whether its deputyship team should become deputy. After the first hearing, it was agreed that the deputyship application could proceed.
Latest
- Not Just Detriment: A more detailed look at Hudson v Hathway [2022] EWCA Civ 1648
- The impact of the recent Court of Appeal decision in the case of Hirachand v Hirachand [2021] EWCA Civ 1498
- Re PLK, Thakur, Chapman & Tate – An indication of guideline hourly rate revision?
- In-House Lawyers Forum – 18th June 2019
To contact Robert or for more information…
Call: 0345 274 6924
Mobile: 0784 195 1345
Or email: Send an email
- ACTAPS
“Robert Hill is highly knowledgeable and pragmatic, providing a steady hand on the tiller.”
(The Legal 500, 2023)
“I would like to say a very big thank you for your professionalism and care you and your staff showed while dealing with my case and how you have helped me with this situation that was brought upon my family. “
“Please accept my grateful thanks for all you have done for me and my family in recent months. You fulfilled several roles: adviser, teacher, supportive friend and, above all, a trusted voice of reason.”
“I always get a sense from you that you are on our side. It’s good to know you have got our back covered.”
“Thank you once again for all your efforts, I couldn’t have had a nicer person looking after my interests.”
“I don’t believe I would’ve ever been free of this situation without your advice. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Freeths to others what a great piece of work you put together for me.”
“Amazing service, Robert Hill helped me and was very understanding about my situation. He took time to explain everything to me considering my young age. I’d really recommend Robert to anyone in my situation!”
Client service
‘Doing the right thing’ is at the heart of Freeths. Find out more about our excellent client service and the strong set of values that guide the way we work.
Talk to us
Freeths are a leading national law firm with 13 offices across the UK. If you have a query about our services or just want to find out more, why not give us a call?
Contact: 03301 001 014