Lee Russell

Areas of Expertise

Lee is Head of Devonshires’ Housing Management & Property Litigation team.

Lee leads one of the largest specialist legal practices in housing and property management, and complex property dispute resolution. He advises private organisations, major landowners, developers, investors, charities, local authorities, and many of the UK’s largest providers of social housing.

Lee’s practice spans the full spectrum of housing management and real-estate litigation across both contentious and non contentious matters. He provides strategic guidance on policy, procedure, regulatory compliance, and crisis management involving property matters. A specialist in complex dispute resolution, Lee has extensive experience managing high profile contentious matters in and out of court, with particular expertise in fire safety, building safety, and the property litigation aspects of construction related disputes. He is known for helping clients navigate fast moving regulatory frameworks and the contentious issues arising from property and regulatory compliance.

Lee also leads Devonshires’ dedicated Wales team, advising Registered Social Landlords on all aspects of housing management, property litigation, and emerging Welsh specific legal and regulatory developments.

His earlier career included substantial experience in complex mental health, safeguarding, and capacity matters, advising healthcare providers on CQC compliance, health and social care regulation, adverse incidents, and the intersection between property law and healthcare governance. This background underpins his approach to risk, governance, and the management of sensitive, high risk disputes.

Publications

Higher-Risk Building Definition Anti-Climax, December 2025

Government releases Regulations: Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (‘Residential PEEPs’), July 2025

The Government has now responded to the Emergency Evacuation Information Sharing Plus consultation, December 2024

Update: Upper Tribunal determines that a manager appointed by the First Tier Tribunal is not an Accountable Person under the Building Safety Act 2022, April 2024

UK Government expanding remedies under the Building Safety Act 2022 - but it could go further, Mach 2024

The First Tier Tribunal makes their first determination on the Accountable Person regime under the Building Safety Act 2022, January 2024

The First Tier Tribunal makes two further Remediation Orders pursuant to section 123 of the Building Safety Act 2022, January 2024

The First Tier Tribunal and the Building Safety Act - the story so far…, December 2023

Social landlords must be prepared for new regulations on flat entrance fire doors – Inside Housing, December 2022

The ban on Section 21 evictions should not apply to social landlords – Inside Housing, October 2019

Directories

Lee was recognised as a Next Generation Partner in The Legal 500 and is ranked in Property Litigation (London) as well as the firm’s Tier 1 ranking in Social Housing (London).

The Legal 500 describes him as:

“knowledgeable, dedicated and available with an exceptional understanding of the sector and clients' needs. A pleasure to work with and receive instructions from.”

He is additionally praised as:

“outstanding at dealing with very complex building safety work.”

Conferences

Lee is regularly invited to speak nationally at sector conferences and is available to provide training on topical issues across all aspects of housing management and real-estate litigation.

Education

Master of Law (LLM)

Higher Rights of Audience (Higher Courts – Civil)

Awards

Shortlisted for Junior Lawyer of the Year, Law Society Excellence Awards in 2014. 

Professional Memberships

Lee previously served as Co‑Chair of the Social Housing Law Association (SHLA) until May 2024, following his earlier role as a Committee Member from 2018. SHLA is a non‑commercial organisation supporting the interests of social landlords and providing a forum for dispute resolution, knowledge exchange, and sector‑focused training.

Lee is also a member of the Property Litigation Association and Chartered Institute of Housing.