Liz Davies KC, Garden Court Chambers

Liz Davies KC is a barrister specialising in housing and homelessness law at Garden Court Chambers. She is a co-author of Housing Allocation and Homelessness: Law and Practice (Luba, Davies, Johnston, Bano & Ahluwalia, LexisNexis, 2025, 7^th edn) and of Domestic Abuse and Housing  (LAG, forthcoming). She also co-authors the monthly column Recent Developments in Housing Law in Legal Action magazine, with Sam Madge-Wyld. She is instructed by Southall Black Sisters and others in the Covid Inquiry, on issues of domestic abuse.

Legal 500 describes her as “the leading barrister on homelessness law and superb with clients”. Chambers & Partners says “her level of expertise is only matched by her passion for fighting for an individual’s right to justice”.

Lee Russell, Partner of Housing Management & Property Litigation at Devonshires

Lee was one of the first solicitors to qualify as part of the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s fully qualifying law degree. He was one of the youngest qualifying solicitors at the time.

Lee advises on all aspects of housing management and property litigation, regularly advising private organisations, land owners, developers, investors, charities, local authorities and some of the largest providers of social housing in the United Kingdom.

Lee’s specialism in complex dispute resolution, both in and out of court, sits alongside his extensive experience in advising on non-contentious policy and procedure in addition to regulatory matters. Lee has a developed specialism in fire safety issues and property litigation aspects to contentious construction disputes.

Lee also deals with broader property litigation matters including adverse possession, service charge issues, lease disputes, trespass, restrictive covenants/easements and boundary issues. Lee leads our dedicated Wales team, advising registered social landlords on all aspects of housing management, property litigation and topical Welsh issues.

 Lee’s background in mental health, safeguarding and capacity also sees him advising on litigation involving those who lack capacity to do so. In addition Lee is a specialist in advising on associated regulatory matters, including healthcare providers involving CQC regulation. Lee advises providers of social housing on health and social care aspects including regulatory proceedings and dealing with adverse incidents. Lee’s Welsh practice also sees him advising a number of registered social landlords on the Welsh care regime and matters involving the Care Inspectorate Wales.

Session Chair – Sarah Salmon, Cornerstone Barristers

Sarah Salmon specialises in social housing, property and public law. She is ranked as a leading junior in Legal 500 for both Administrative Law and Human Rights and Social Housing. She is recommended in Chambers and Partners for Housing. In 2024, she was appointed to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s panel of counsel (B panel) and nominated for Property and Housing Junior of the Year in the Legal 500 Bar awards.

Sarah has represented public bodies, charities, local authorities, housing associations, individuals and companies in her specialist areas in England and Wales. Sarah is the author of Author of ‘A Practical Guide to Housing Allocation Schemes in England’ (Law Brief Publishing) and regularly acts and advises in homelessness cases (on both sides).

Sarah has a special interest in Wales and has been instructed, and advised extensively, on a number of issues for a range of clients. She was instructed in Coastal Housing Group Ltd (now Beacon Cymru Group) v Mitchell [2024] EWHC 2831 (Ch) and [2025] EWHC 2477 (Ch) (the first case to see provisions with the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 and its accompanying regulations before the higher courts) and Jarvis v Evans [2020] EWCA Civ 854; [2021] 1 WLR 24 (the first case to see the provisions of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 before the higher courts). She has also advised an organisation on the Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Bill.

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