enquiries@edward-harte.co.uk
01273 662 750

Samantha Dawkins

samantha dawkins solicitor

Samantha Dawkins

Partner

Contacts

01273 662756
sdawkins@edward-harte.co.uk

A dynamic member of our team, Samantha Dawkins is a commercial and civil law litigator with a particular specialism in property law. She is also an accredited Litigator with the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL).

Samantha has ten years’ experience and in recognition of her achievements she won Lawyer Monthly Women in Law Award 2018 for property litigation and AI Excellence Award of Most Influential Woman in Property Law 2018.

Samantha studied Economic and Social History at Leicester University. She then continued her studies at the University of Northumbria where she graduated with a Post Graduate Diploma in law, followed by the Bar Vocational Course.

Having travelled the world, Samantha returned to the UK and worked as an advocate attending a variety of hearings at county courts, from possession proceedings to small claims. She cross-qualified as a solicitor and joined Edward Harte in 2007, becoming a Partner in June 2015.

Samantha is an active member of BNI Hove Albion, Sussex Law Society & Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce. She is also a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and the Property Litigation Association.

Samantha has been involved in setting a legal precedent by virtue of the landmark case: MWB Business Exchange Centres –v- Rock Advertising Limited [2018 UK SC24].  She successfully guided this case through to appeal at the Supreme Court, which was unanimously allowed with judgment being handed down on 16 May 2018.

“Modern litigation rarely raises truly fundamental issues in the law of contract.  This appeal is exceptional.  It raises two of them.” said Justice of the Supreme Court Lord Sumption of the case.

The case was ultimately decided on one issue namely that ‘no oral modification’ clauses do not prevent parties from varying a contract; they simply provide for the method by which any variation needs to follow in order to be effective.

What this means for businesses is that it provides certainty.  If you have a clause in your contract or terms of business which require any variations to be made in writing, then an oral variation will not be legally binding.  One possible exception is that an oral variation may be upheld if the parties agreed to vary or abandon the ‘no oral modification’ clause.

Samantha’s expertise and areas of coverage include:

Testimonial

‘We have worked closely with Samantha Dawkins especially across a range of legal areas over the years and at all times we have been very impressed with her speed, professionalism and eloquence.  Her expert knowledge and professional approach have been a great comfort to us without exception in all issues with which she has become involved.  Whenever an issue arises, even if clarification is all that is required, our first port of call is to Sam.’

Samantha Dawkins is supported by her secretary Sam Stoneham.