Carter Jonas is celebrating the achievement of one of its partners who has received an award for work in a specialist field of property law and valuation. 

Mark Hallam, who is based in the Cambridge office but whose technical expertise is in demand across the property consultancy’s 31 offices, has been awarded the title of Regional Enfranchisement Surveyor of the Year in The Enfranchisement Awards 2009 which have recently been announced (18 May).

The Enfranchisement Awards is an annual award scheme run by News on the Block, a publication and online portal providing a specialist service and advice to owners, legal practitioners and property professionals working in the residential flat industry.

Mark Hallam has been awarded this accolade for his work in the field of leasehold reform which is where leaseholders – typically flat owners – may have an opportunity to buy the freehold or extend their leases.

The independent panel of award judges who recognised Mark Hallam’s achievement in this niche area comprised of the President of the Law Society, the Chief Executive of the Federation of Private Residents Associations and the Associate Director of the Residential Faculty of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Mark Hallam’s work in this field for private and institutional clients is just one aspect of his technical expertise and understanding of property law which also includes matters concerning restrictive covenants.

According to Mark, the key is to keep it simple. Reflecting on his achievement in the Awards, he said:

"In general, I do not support over complicating matters. To this end, it’s important to understand why enfranchisement legislation has been bought in.

"When it comes to technical areas of property, it is important to gauge the level of the client’s requirements and not be tempted to get into the minutiae of the matter for the sake of it."