Donna McCarthy

Areas of Expertise

Donna is a Consultant in our Housing Management & Property Litigation team.

She has over 30 years’ experience advising on all aspects of housing management law and practice, acting for Local Authorities, Registered Providers, care and support providers and private landlords in complex litigation, including matters in the higher courts and judicial review actions. She has particular expertise in advising and representing clients on Human Rights, Public Law and Equality Act challenges and following her successes in the cases of London and Quadrant HT v Patrick [2019] EWHC 1263 (QB) and Forward v Aldwyck Housing Group [2019] EWCA Civ 1334 is particularly noted for her expertise in dealing with claims relating to compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty.

She regularly advises social landlords in respect of compliance with the Housing Ombudsman Code including advising in respect of grounds to review adverse determinations, both in respect of individual complaints and wider investigations under Paragraph 49 of the Scheme.

Drawing on her extensive experience advising housing and care and support providers she advises in respect of safeguarding; applications to the Court of Protection; mental capacity issues and multi-agency working.

She also has a thriving non contentious practice where she advises on complex housing management issues, reviews and drafts policy and procedure and tenancy agreements.

Experience

Donna started her legal career in the in-house legal team at the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, combining part time studies with a mixed litigation practice including housing law. She qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive in 1994. Between 1994 and 1999 she worked as a specialist housing litigator, predominantly advising and representing tenants, with particular specialism representing those with mental capacity issues/other vulnerabilities.

Directories

Donna McCarthy is ranked as part of the Hall of Fame for Social Housing: Local Authorities And Registered Providers in the Legal 500.

She is also ranked in Band 2 in Social Housing in Chambers & Partners.

Conferences

Donna regularly speaks at events and conferences as well as presenting webinars and providing training to clients on a broad range of subjects. Recent examples include:

• Devonshires Renters’ Rights webinar series
• Speaking at the SHiP Annual Conference
• Speaking at the Five Paper’s Spring Housing Conference
• Speaking at the HMPL Regional Conference in Birmingham

Education

Donna completed her professional examinations in 1994, before completing a further diploma in Landlord and Tenant Law in 1995. She attained fellowship as a Chartered Legal Executive in 1999.

Personal

Donna is a keen reader and particularly enjoys anything related to art and modern social history. She is an enthusiastic if unskilled cook, who enjoys getting to the gym when she isn’t feeding people.

Professional Memberships

She is passionate about providing opportunities to those from diverse backgrounds to enter the legal profession and she volunteers via Inspiring the Future, presenting in schools and colleges on legal career options.

Donna is also a member of the steering group for the Women’s Housing Forum and a member of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH).