Harrison Engler

Harrison has experience in a variety of civil matters, including contractual disputes, RTA, Companies Act proceedings, and procedural applications. He regularly advises and represents clients in Companies Act applications.

Recent cases 

• Harrison assisted during pupillage and is now instructed as junior to John McLinden KC in defending a BEC fraud claim in which the claimant’s systems were allegedly ‘pwned’ – i.e. taken over by a third party. This enabled the intervener to intercept, amend, clone, delete and and intercept emails as if they were the claimant. There is presently remarkably little jurisprudence concerning BEC litigation in English law, especially in a scenario in which the defences include contractual duties owed by the claimant to the defendant to maintain the security of its systems and communications. The case also involves complex issues relating to negligence and agency relationships. The case is set for trial in 2025.
• Harrison acted for a company director defending a debt claim brought by a specialist debt-recovery firm following the alleged default on a personal guarantee to a business loan. Harrison advised and drafted an application to strike out a Re-Amended Particulars of Claim and represented the client at the hearing, successfully making submissions on the basis of a series of technical breaches of Civil Procedure Rules relating to drafting, following which the claim as a whole was struck out. Harrison’s client was awarded costs and he has since advised on costs recovery.

Harrison represents, advises, and drafts pleadings for private landlords, housing associations, local authorities, and tenants in possession proceedings, disrepair claims, access / anti-social behaviour injunctions, and cases involving issues of capacity and Civil Restraint Orders.

Recent cases

• Harrison acted for two claimant landlords at a trial in possession proceedings involving a complex factual dispute and six defendants. The claimants alleged that two of the defendants were their tenants, and the other defendants were unlawful sub-tenants. The defendants variously alleged that they were lawful sub-tenants, or they were tenants directly by operation of section 18 of the Housing Act, of were not tenants at all. There were a series of different and often-contradictory agreements including management agreements, sub-leases, and ASTs. Harrison advised the claimants at trial and obtained settlement with the defendants at trial, obtaining possession for the landlords without exposure to any costs risk.
• Harrison acted for a defendant to a section 21 possession claim, representing them at a hearing to strike out a possession order made several months earlier. The case involved the proper construction of CPR 55.19, which has not been the subject of authority. The possession order was set aside.
• Harrison acted for a local authority defending a disrepair claim. He drafted a defence and advised the client to adjust their strategy and seek settlement, following which he was instructed to advise on quantum to inform settlement discussions.

Harrison represents and advises parties in public and private Children Act proceedings, and a wide spectrum of Family Law Act proceedings.

Recent cases

• Harrison represented a client in a successful appeal against a case management decision in private Children Act proceedings, on grounds that the District Judge’s decision was outside the ambit of her case management discretion and was irrational, and that his client’s right to a fair trial under Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights had been breached.
• Harrison represented the father at a final hearing in private Children Act proceedings, at which the mother sought a defined order for contact with the children (with progression to greater indirect contact and eventually direct contact) and the Father sought for any future contact to be agreed between the parties to allow the children (who lived with him) to develop their contact with the mother at their own, gradual, pace. The court declined to make a ‘stepped order’ directing the future progression of contact and left any future changes to the parties’ agreement.
• Harrison acted pro bono at multiple hearings for a mother of a child with learning needs in a dispute with the father about schooling and contact arrangements. The mother said “I am not sure how I would have coped without Mr Engler’s advocacy”.

Harrison drafts pleadings and represents clients in the employment tribunal, across claims including pregnancy discrimination, unfair dismissal, and sexual harassment. He is also frequently instructed by local authorities to advise and draft witness statements.

• Bar Vocational Studies  (City, University of London) 2022 – 2023,  Distinction
• Graduate Diploma in Law (City, University of London) 2021 – 2022, Distinction
• BA History (University of Oxford, St Hugh’s College) 2017 – 2020, First Class

• Certificate of Honour awarded by Middle Temple (2023)
• South Square Scholarship for BVS awarded by Middle Temple (2022)
• City Law School Scholarship for Academic Excellence (2022)
• Astbury Scholarship for GDL awarded by Middle Temple (2021)
• W.C. Davis Award for highest mark (76 average) across university cohort (240 students) in 1st year examinations (Prelims) (2018)

• ALC – Association of Lawyers for Children
• ELA – Employer Lawyers’ Association

Harrison Engler Privacy Notice 04.03.2024