Robert Mullen

Robert specialises in agricultural and property litigation as well as contentious Wills, trusts and probate matters.

Robert is a Senior Associate Solicitor in the Commercial and Private Client Litigation team specialising in agricultural and property litigation as well as contentious Wills, trusts and probate matters.

Robert qualified as a solicitor and joined Clarke Willmott in 2014.

Robert’s practice includes advising property owners, landlords and tenants on a wide range of contentious property matters ranging from tenancy disputes to land drainage and flooding. Robert is also a member of the NFU team; Clarke Willmott is the NFU panel law firm for Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Dorset and therefore Robert’s caseload is a diverse mix of commercial and agricultural work.

Robert is also a specialist in contentious Wills, trusts and probate matters and is a valued member of the highly regarded contentious trust and probate team at Clarke Willmott. He has extensive experience in bringing and defending a range of claims from contesting the validity of Wills to pursuing trustees for maladministration.

Robert is a member of and Regional Coordinator (Somerset and Dorset) for the Agricultural Law Association.

How Rob can help you

Robert advises clients operating in the commercial and agricultural sectors on contentious property matters relating to:

• Boundaries;
• Adverse possession;
• Trespass;
• Nuisance;
• Easements – including rights of way;
• Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 tenancies and Farm Business Tenancies (including notices to quit, succession and breaches of covenant);
• Land drainage and flooding;
• Proprietary estoppel; and
• Co-owner property disputes including declarations as to ownership and/or claims for occupation rent.

Robert also defends and brings claims:

• under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975;
• contesting the validity of Wills (due to lack of testamentary capacity and/or want of knowledge and approval);
• against executors and trustees for breach of trust/maladministration; and
• against solicitors in relation to Will drafting and the construction of Wills or mistakes in Wills.

Experience

• Acting for a group of five landowners/farming businesses in King & Ors v Environment Agency[2018] EWHC 65 (QB) (19 January 2018) – a test case against the Environment Agency under the Human Rights Act 1998.
• Robert has acted for clients in matters before the Registrar at HM Land Registry and the Property Chamber, Land Registration, First-Tier Tribunal including matter relating to boundary disputes and adverse possession. These cases are unreported.