George is based in our Bishop’s Stortford office and has developed a broad practice of Commercial and Property Litigation work. He regularly advises on high value and complex disputes encompassing a broad spectrum of commercial issues, from commercial contracts and director issues to professional negligence disputes (in respect of which he is a member of the Professional Negligence Lawyers Association). He has developed particular specialist knowledge for commercial issues and, particularly, consumer related disputes. His practice encompasses all manner of issues connected with the business-consumer relationship including breach of consumer contracts, supply and distribution agreements, software and other digital content issues, unfair trading and contractual terms, trader disputes and consumer protection generally.
As an extension of this, George also advises on contentious intellectual property matters including, for instance, infringement of trade marks, copyright, registered and unregistered design rights and database rights.
He also has experience in contentious property matters. He advises on all manner of landlord and tenant issues, both residential and commercial, including service charge related issues, dilapidations claims and breach of leasehold covenants. George also has a reputation for specialist real property knowledge.
George’s broad experience, as well as his specialist knowledge, has seen him cultivate a reputation as a pragmatic litigation solicitor with a keen analytical eye for detail. He routinely reassures his clients with a thorough examination of the issues and clear and comprehensible tactical advice targeted at prioritising resolving matters amicably, and at an early stage, to avoid the need for stressful legal proceedings.
He works closely with many other teams at Nockolds and, in particular, the employment Team, Commercial and Residential Property teams and the Corporate & Commercial Team.
RECENT EXPERIENCE
Property Litigation
- Has dealt with and advised in respect of rights of way issues and, in particular, what access rights exist to and from certain property as well as rights to park.
- Providing advice and assistance in respect of an adverse possession claim of land adjacent to client property and has advised both in terms of registered and unregistered land.
- Routinely advises in respect of drainage rights and easements for underground service media including media for the supply of utilities and disposal of waste that traverse neighbouring land.
- Has advised both landlords and tenants of commercial premises in respect of forfeiture and waiver of the right to do so and other landlord and tenant related matters.
- Has advised in respect of nuisance issues, such noise nuisance, permitted by a management company, emanating from the use of greenspace adjacent to a block of apartments.
- George routinely advises in respect of the conveyancing process and, in particular, misrepresentation claims made by the purchaser. He also has experience of dealing with landowners in connection with breach of mortgage conditions and, typically, non-payment of the mortgage.
Commercial Litigation
- Routinely advising in respect of breach of contract claims. One particular example includes the sale of a business and subsequent claim for non-payment of sums due under the sale contract.
- Considerable experience in dealing with both sides of professional negligence claims to include claims against all manner of businesses, including trade professionals, accountants and solicitors.
- Routinely advising consumers and traders in respect of their rights, duties and obligations to one another to include advising in respect of contracts formed in unfair circumstances or which include unfair terms; defective works, services or products; and where traders have left site and refuse to return. He has extensive knowledge of the consumer protection legislation that has seen him advise and support in respect of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act of 2024 and the Consumer Contracts (Information, cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 amongst others.
- Has significant experience in dealing with construction contract and consumer construction related issues and routinely advises in respect of claims for defective or inadequate works or services, construction delays and payment issues. Experience includes advising in respect of a significant property redevelopment which was in adequate and dangerous.
- Has experience in advising in respect of the duties of company directors and has particular recent experience of dealing with claims against directors personally for corporate breaches of building regulation issues.
Intellectual Property
- Advising in respect alleged trademark infringement;
- Providing advice in respect of steps necessary to challenge the registration of a conflicting trade mark.
- Advising in respect of a claim brought against a prospective client for infringement upon designs and trade marks registered in the UK and the EU.
- Advising companies in respect of their ownership of intellectual property and, typically, in response to claims made by former employees or consultants who have assisted with product or design development. Such issues have also seen George advise on the ownership of, and mise use of, company information and database issues in conjunction with our Employment Team.
- Providing assistance in respect of copyright issues for photographs used online and other such associated issues such as domain issues.
- As an extension of many of these issues, George also advises trading professionals in relation to alleged infringement on their goodwill and the tort of passing off and, in particular, has experience of dealing with prospective defendants using similar trading names or images in online and marketing literature or as part of a domain which gives rise to a confusion with the claimant’s company.
Feedback For George
- George Burton is robust and astute in his advice and very good with clients (Legal 500 2020)
- George Burton was very friendly, knowledgeable and hardworking. He took a pragmatic approach to the case and was able to cut through to the important issues (Legal 500 2022)
- George Burton is a great lawyer and a creative tinker [thinker] (Legal 500 2023)
- Always knowledgeable, efficient and helpful.
- Rest assured we will be in touch immediately should we encounter further problems… We have nothing but praise for you and the knowledge and expertise you have shown throughout.
- We have been very pleased with the help you have given us and are absolutely satisfied with your services! … Thank you once again for your comprehensive and very easily comprehensible advice. We would not hesitate to recommend your services to anyone needing similar support.
- An honest and understanding approach to the topics and problems at hand.