Chadwick Lawrence appoints Justine Hunkins to launch Social Housing Management Team

Law firm Chadwick Lawrence has announced the launch of a new Social Housing Management Team, providing nationwide litigation support to social housing providers.

A new partner, Justine Hunkins, has been appointed to drive the development of the team.

Justine is a social housing litigator, with 19 years’ experience in the social housing sector and arrives at Chadwick Lawrence with a proven track record of delivering improved efficiencies and outstanding results for Registered Providers of Social Housing.

Justine first joined Chadwick Lawrence as a newly qualified solicitor in 2008 and stayed with the firm for seven years, before a ten-year tenure at Forbes Solicitors in its Housing and Regeneration Team.

With extensive experience of a wide range of housing management, asset management and complex litigation cases, Justine is well-known for her specialist expertise in housing conditions claims and repairs management.
During her ten years at Forbes, Justine created and led the Asset Management Team, which was appointed as the sole provider of housing conditions claims management services for a number of the country’s largest Registered Providers of Social Housing. The team was ranked in the Legal 500 for Social Housing and Justine has retained her Chambers and Partners Social Housing ranking.

The return of Justine to Chadwick Lawrence signifies the firm’s commitment to delivering for social housing providers and the communities that they support.

Justine commented: “I am delighted to have re-joined Chadwick Lawrence, as the firm broadens its services for housing providers. I look forward to working with brilliant colleagues both old and new.”

The firm is not just offering housing management services; its wider Housing and Regeneration Team is a one-stop shop for social housing providers. Chadwick Lawrence boasts highly acclaimed experts in housing litigation and residential and commercial real estate litigation, construction disputes, transactional residential and commercial property, employment, corporate and governance, regulatory services and reputation management.

The Social Housing Management Team is assisting social housing providers with organisation-wide strategies for preparing for the Awaab’s law changes that are coming in October 2025. They are also assisting with the associated policy and procedure reviews, delivering staff and contactor training and with reviewing contractor arrangements.

Alongside Justine, the Social Housing Management Team includes two further specialist real estate litigation partners, Dan Hirst, senior partner, and Kaye Willis, partner, and is supported by nine non-partners, all taking a client-first approach.

Dan Hirst added: “We are thrilled to have welcomed Justine back to the firm. Justine’s wide-ranging experience and her passion for collaborative working to create bespoke solutions for her clients set her apart. We are excited about growing the Social Housing Management Team with Justine at the helm.”

To find out more about Chadwick Lawrence’s Business Services Teams visit: https://www.chadwicklawrence.co.uk/business-services/