Karen Taylor
Karen specialises in commercial property disputes, including landlord and tenant matters, easements, restrictive covenants, and party wall issues, providing strategic advice to national and international clients.
Specialisms & Areas of Work
Legal 500
Biography
Karen acts for property owners, commercial landlords and tenants, developers, and high-net-worth individuals in resolving a range of commercial property disputes.
Karen has a particular focus on proactive commercial property management, advising on lease renewals, breaks and forfeiture actions, rent and service charge arrears, and disputes arising from alienation and dilapidations. Karen also assists clients with property development matters, including adverse possession, easements and restrictive covenants.
Karen has over 15 years of property litigation experience. She trained at a national firm in Manchester City Centre and spent 10 years at a niche commercial property practice as an Associate Partner. Karen developed her experience at a regional firm before joining Myerson in 2021.
Client Feedback
Legal 500, 2024
Karen Taylor quickly understood the issue to be dealt with and gave valuable advice for consideration and direction.
Legal 500, 2024
Karen Taylor has brilliant legal knowledge and is a very strong litigator.
Chambers UK Guide 2026
Karen Taylor is an experienced legal director within the Myerson team, recognised for her handling of commercial landlord and tenant matters and portfolio management advice.
Chambers UK Guide 2026
Karen is very competent and a safe pair of hands.
Karen Taylor quickly understood the issue to be dealt with and gave valuable advice for consideration and direction.
Karen Taylor has brilliant legal knowledge and is a very strong litigator.
Karen Taylor combines in depth legal knowledge with an ability to identify the best route to a commercial and practically workable outcome.
Karen Taylor really goes above and beyond with deep level legal understanding and great empathy.
Rachel Santana - Director, LaserMe Chester
I have copied Andrew and Karen in as I would just like to say a massive thank you to you both for such a wonderful, compassionate service. I can’t thank you all enough for your advise, your quick responses and your kindness throughout. The last few weeks can only be described as one of those life moments that has been full of anxiety! - and your help and assistance throughout this journey has just been outstanding. I would have absolutely no hesitation in using your firm again. It really has blown me away. After weeks of preparation we reopen our business tomorrow in a newly refurbished premises that has turned out to be 10 times better than our old one!, So there is a silver lining at the end!
Recent Experience
Karen has particular expertise in advising landlords and tenants in relation to rent arrears, dilapidations, break rights, forfeiture, alienation and lease renewals. Karen also assists clients with claims arising out of adverse possession, easements and covenants.
Highlights of Karen’s recent work include:
- Advising a commercial logistics company in relation to various repair issues and its landlord’s breach of an agreement to carry out works.
- Advising a property developer in relation to its claim for misrepresentation against a seller following an auction purchase. The contract was successfully rescinded and the client recovered its deposit and costs.
- Advising a community group in relation to potential options available to it to prevent the purchase by a residential developer of open land used by the community.
- Successfully forfeiting a commercial lease on grounds of disrepair.
- Acting for an investment landlord with regards to regularising the occupation of tenants on an industrial estate.
- Advising in relation to the interpretation of complex dilapidations apportionment provisions under a Share Purchase Agreement.
- Application for a freezing order over the assets of a developer.
- Advising in relation to defective restrictive covenants under a transfer.
- Advising in relation to an opposed lease renewal under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 resulting in a commercial settlement, contracted out lease and security for dilapidations.
- Successfully defending a commercial tenant in relation to threats of forfeiture on account of incorrectly invoiced service charge and electricity.
Awards & Rankings
Legal 500 — Recommended Lawyer
2026
Chambers UK Guide — Associates to watch : Real Estate Litigation
2026Memberships
- Property Litigation Association
Insights & Media
Legal In-House Insights: Leases, AI and Workplace Investigations
In this practical post-event webinar, specialists at Myerson Solicitors explored key legal issues facing in-house legal teams, providing expert insight across Real Estate, Employment and Commercial law. Designed specifically for in-house counsel, General Counsel and professionals responsible for managing legal risk, the session delivered...
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Commercial Property Pitfalls: Drafting with Confidence
In this practical and insightful webinar, our commercial property specialists at Myerson Solicitors explore key drafting risks and strategic considerations across a range of high-risk commercial property transactions. Covering overage agreements, option and conditional contracts, heads of terms, break clauses and lease renewals, this session is...
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Webinar: Industrial Property and Energy Efficiency: Key Legal Issues for Manufacturing Tenants
The manufacturing sector in England and Wales is undergoing rapid change. With rising energy prices, tightening sustainability regulations and increasing property-related costs, manufacturers are facing operational pressures that cannot be ignored. As Big Energy Saving Week (17–23 January) shines a spotlight on improving efficiency and reducing...
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Break Clauses – Avoid the Pitfalls!
Break clauses are contractual provisions in a lease that allow either the landlord or tenant to bring the contractual term of the lease to an end early. On the face of it, a break notice appears to be a straightforward document, and it often looks...
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Landlord And Tenant Act 1954 Reforms – Securing A Change
Our Property Litigation lawyers explore the proposed reforms to the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 , which could significantly impact landlords, tenants, and the commercial property market. The review assesses whether the Act remains fit for purpose in light of modern economic challenges and evolving business needs.
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Forfeiture – How Does It Affect Commercial Sub-Tenants?
With many commercial tenants feeling the impact of increased costs, pressure on rental payments is on the rise. During the pandemic, the landlord's right to forfeit (terminate) the lease was restricted, giving much-needed protection to tenants. However, that protection was lifted in March 2022, and forfeiture is once again an option for landlords...
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Does Signing Heads of Terms Create a Binding Agreement?
The recent case of Pretoria Energy Company (Chittering) Ltd v Blankney Estates Ltd looks at whether heads of terms are sufficient to create a binding agreement between parties in the absence of a signed lease agreement. Background This case relates to the appeal in the Court of Appeal of the High Court’s earlier decision. By way of background...
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The Dilapidations Pre-action Protocol
At the end of a commercial lease term , a landlord will want to consider any potential claim that they may have against the tenant for the tenant’s breach of the provisions relating to repair, decoration and reinstatement. Landlords should be aware of timing issues in enforcing dilapidations claims . These could be: Contractual: for example...
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Dilapidations – How Are Damages Assessed?
Most commercial leases include obligations in relation to repair, decoration and yielding up at the end of the lease. Where a tenant is in breach of those obligations, the landlord will seek to bring a claim against the tenant for the losses which it suffers as a result of those breaches. However, the assessment of those damages is often...
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Relief from Forfeiture of a Commercial Lease
The recent case of Chug & Anor v Dhaliwal & Anor provides a High Court example of when and how a Judge must weigh up factors for relief from forfeiture and why it is a bad idea to unlawfully sublet commercial premises. The Facts Mr Chug was a tenant of Mr Dhaliwal of a commercial property in Hounslow. Chug had the benefit of a 20-year lease with...
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Removal of No Fault Residential Evictions
The Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities have confirmed plans to reform the private and social rented sector legislation. The Renters Reform Bill (the Bill) will provide the biggest change to renter’s law in a generation, improving rights for people renting in private and social housing. Levelling Up and Housing Secretary Michael...
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The Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 and “Reasonable Updating”
The Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 gives business tenants a statutory right to a new tenancy on the expiry of their existing tenancy and provides that a landlord can only recover possession where at least one of seven statutory grounds applies. The Act was put in place to promote the economy and provide a secure basis for businesses to grow...
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Rights of First Refusal – What is it and Why is it an Issue?
Part 1 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, as amended by the Housing Act 1996, introduced the concept of the residential tenants rights of first refusal. Rights of first refusal is where a landlord is proposing to sell his interest in a building...
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Office Workspaces Post-Pandemic
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, many peoples working lives changed overnight. Working from home was introduced permanently, a notable change to the norm; for most companies working from home before the pandemic was relatively rare...
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Rent Free or No Rent Free – That is the Question!
A flurry of recent cases will interest landlords and tenants negotiating rents on renewals under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (“LTA 1954”). Under s.34 of the LTA 1954, the parties can ask the Courts to determine the rent to be paid under a...
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Looking Ahead in 2023: What to Expect in Property and Property Litigation
Now that 2022 has come to a close, it is time to look ahead and consider what legal changes we can expect to see in 2023 in the property market. In this blog, we have detailed a number of the changes we expect to take place. On 28th April 2022, the...
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Status of Occupation on Expiry of Lease Term
When a lease comes to an end, what should the parties do? Is the tenant still a tenant, or do they no longer have a right to occupy the premises? These questions require an analysis of the type of lease (if any) that was put in place documenting the occupation.
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