Dean Underwood

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Dean Underwood
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Dean is marked out by the legal directories as a leading junior in landlord and tenant, property, public and administrative law, and has a particular expertise in housing and related administrative law.

He also has expertise in local government, regulation and the licensing of private sector accommodation. He advises and represents local authorities and landlords nationwide, as well as individuals.

Dean specialises in landlord and tenant, property, public and administrative law and has particular expertise in housing and related administrative law. He also has expertise in local government, regulation and the licensing of private sector accommodation.

Dean advises and represents local authorities and landlords nationwide, as well as individuals. He has experience in all courts, from County Court to Supreme Court and appears regularly before the First Tier Tribunal and the Upper Tribunal’s Administrative and Property Chambers.

Dean is widely regarded as a leader in his field. He is consistently ranked as a leading junior in housing, property and administrative law in Chambers and Partners and Legal 500. Clients say of him:

“A specialist in his area, with exceptional knowledge and understanding of housing law. He always prepares meticulously and proactively finds solutions”, “knows housing law through and through” and is “calm on his feet.” Legal 500 2024

“Knowledgeable and seasoned practitioner who is incredibly hard-working.” “A favourite with clients.” “Very prompt at providing advice and an excellent advocate in court.” Chambers and Partners 2019

He is praised for his “methodical advocacy and adept representation of local authorities and social landlords at all levels of court and tribunal.” Chambers and Partners 2018

“He is wedded to the sector; a social housing machine.” Legal 500 2017

“He gets results, and his friendly and down-to-earth manner makes him a client favourite.” Legal 500 2017

“He’s an excellent advocate … understands the sector very, very well and is easy to deal with – someone you can rely on.” Chambers and Partners 2016

“He is outstanding …produces clear paperwork, writes well and has an excellent grip on all the legal issues.” Chambers and Partners 2015

“He keeps his ear to the ground and is always informed on developments in the sector.” Legal 500 2015

Expertise

    A specialist in his area, with exceptional knowledge and understanding of housing law.

    Legal 500 (2024)

    Knows housing law through and through and is calm on his feet.

    Legal 500 (2024)

    Dean Underwood is an excellent barrister.

    Chambers UK Bar (2024)

    Dean is involved in heavy, difficult and high-status work.

    Chambers UK Bar (2023)

    He has a fantastically friendly manner which, when combined with his very thorough approach to cases, has allowed Dean to become a real tour de force in the world of social housing.

    Chambers UK Bar (2022)

    His preparation of cases is first rate and he left no stone unturned when searching for the right solution for my clients.

    Chambers UK Bar (2021)

About Dean

  • Directory Quotes
    • Social Housing (Band 1) – “Dean Underwood is an excellent barrister.” Chambers and Partners 2024
    • Social Housing (Tier 1) – “A specialist in his area, with exceptional knowledge and understanding of housing law. He always prepares meticulously and proactively finds solutions”, “knows housing law through and through” and is “calm on his feet.” Legal 500 2024
    • Social Housing – “Dean is involved in heavy, difficult and high-status work.” Chambers and Partners 2023 
    • Social Housing – “Dean is a very good opponent – firm, but reasonable and fair.” Chambers and Partners 2023
    • Social Housing – “Dean Underwood is a housing and administrative specialist who is praised for his “excellent” advocacy and adept representation of local authorities and social landlords at all levels of court and tribunal. His areas of particular expertise include possession proceedings, homelessness challenges and disrepair claims.”
      Strengths: “He has a fantastically friendly manner which, when combined with his very thorough approach to cases, has allowed Dean to become a real tour de force in the world of social housing.” “He is a delightful opponent – he is extremely thorough and knowledgeable in this area.”
      Recent work: Acted for Poplar HARCA in a case which was the first to consider the principles that apply when making a possession order on discretionary grounds for unlawful subletting and the relevance of Housing Benefit payments to the calculation of Unlawful Profit Orders.  Chambers and Partners 2022
    • Social Housing – “Dean is hands-on, pragmatic, friendly and loved by clients. His preparation is second to none and he leaves no stones un-turned when finding solutions and particularly during cross examination.” Legal 500 2022
    • Property Litigation – “Good quality advice and submissions in court.” Legal 500 2022
    • Social Housing – “Housing and administrative specialist who is praised for his “excellent” advocacy and adept representation of local authorities and social landlords at all levels of court and tribunal. His areas of particular expertise include possession proceedings, homelessness challenges and disrepair claims. Strengths: “His practical advice and advocacy services are always delivered to a very professional standard resulting in outcomes very much in the clients’ favour.” “He is bright and pragmatic, friendly and well liked by clients. His preparation of cases is first rate and he left no stone unturned when searching for the right solution for my clients.” Chambers and Partners 2021
    • “An excellent barrister – very calm, possibly as a result of his preparation, which is always second to none. Knows his onions and never lets you down.” Legal 500 2021
    • “His drafting skills are second to none and the same can be said for his ability to clearly express oral arguments.” Legal 500 2021
    • “Knowledgeable and seasoned practitioner who is incredibly hard-working.” “A favourite with clients.” “Very prompt at providing advice and an excellent advocate in court.” Chambers and Partners 2020
    • “He is highly experienced in the areas of housing and public law”. Legal 500 2020
    • “He is very good, thorough and reliable”. Legal 500 2020
    • “A passionate social housing advocate whose knowledge and experience are hard to better.” “His fantastically friendly manner combined with his very thorough approach to cases has made him a real tour de force in the social housing world.” Chambers and Partners 2019
    • “He can immediately seize upon the issues in play and do so under significant time pressure.” Legal 500 2018
    • “A true expert, his enthusiasm for his work is quite evident.” Legal 500 2018
    • “Extensive experience with the intersection of public law and social housing.” Legal 500 2018
    • “A lovely chap who takes a calm, measured and sensible approach, and is making a really good name for himself.” Chambers and Partners 2018
    • “He is wedded to the sector; a social housing machine.” Legal 500 2017
    • “Specialises in landlord and tenant matters.” Legal 500 2017
    • “He gets results, and his friendly and down-to-earth manner makes him a client favourite.” Legal 500 2017
    • “Exceptional understanding of housing issues, he is a thoroughly nice person and great with clients.” Chambers and Partners 2017
    • “Very responsive and solution-oriented.” Chambers and Partners 2017
    • “He gives clients immediate confidence in his abilities.” Legal 500 2016
    • “He provides exceptional client care and very clear advice – no sitting on the fence.” Legal 500 2016
    • “He’s an excellent advocate; he’s strong technically and clients like him.” “He understands the sector very, very well, and is easy to deal with – someone you can rely on.” Chambers  and Partners 2016
    • “He keeps his ear to the ground and is always informed on developments in the sector.” Legal 500 2015
  • Services

    Dean offers bespoke training nationwide in all aspects of his practice. He is a well-regarded conference speaker and regularly delivers training for the Chartered Institute of Housing, National Housing Federation, Social Housing Law Association and other conference providers.

    Dean has more than 13 years’ experience working with local authorities and housing providers. He has represented them in all civil courts, from County Court to Supreme Court, and understands the constraints within which they work. His approachability and in-depth knowledge of his practice areas ensure that, whatever his clients’ needs, the service they receive is excellent.

  • Associations

    • Administrative Law Bar Association
    • Chartered Institute of Housing
    • Property Bar Association
    • Social Housing Law Association (Chair)

  • Publications
  • Events

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