John is incredibly approachable, user-friendly and client-friendly. He is able to set out technical legal points clearly, concisely and in plain English. He is also a very good trial advocate and never seems flustered; he is clam, collected and measured in his delivery. John is brilliant and a first choice in any complex and important property dispute.”

chambers uk 2022, REAL ESTATE LITIGATION

John is a very experienced adviser and advocate and has practised in the area of Highways and Public Rights of Way for many years.

He is ranked in Band 1 for both real estate litigation and chancery in Chambers UK and is one of Legal 500’s leading individuals. Chambers UK describe him as “… an exceptional barrister both in terms of his judgement and his people skills and as good as any senior junior in the country.”

John has expertise advising and representing clients in relation to the following:

  • Existence/creation of public rights of way
  • Nature of those rights (public footpath, bridleway or highway)
  • Physical extent of those rights
  • Ownership of roadside hedges/fences, verges and ditches/drains
  • Ancillary rights and responsibilities (drainage, etc.)
  • Re-routing and stopping up of highways
  • Claims concerning others’ use of highway land
  • Flooding claims relating to highways

Cases

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  • Qualifications:

    • BA (Oxon) 1st Class 1986
    • LLM (Cantab) 1987
    • LLM (University of Pennsylvania) 1988
    • Thouron Scholar (University of Pennsylvania) 1987-8
    • Attorney-at-Law New York State 1991
    • Queen Mother’s Scholar 1992
    • Sachs Prize & Campbell-Foster Prize 1993 (all Middle Temple)

  • Professional memberships:

    • Member of Chancery Bar Association
    • Member of the Agricultural Law Association
    • Secretary of the Western Chancery & Commercial Bar Association

  • Additional information:

    Before joining the Bar, John practised as an attorney-at-law in a Wall Street law firm from 1989 to 1991. His practice there included contentious take-overs and major litigation for international banks, insurance companies and brokerage houses.

  • John Sharples is regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and holds a current practising certificate. If you are not satisfied with the service provided, please read here.