Stepping into the role of Chair of the PLA in the Association’s 30th anniversary year was always going to be a unique honour. To lead an association of 1,700 members, and seek to build upon the legacy of the 29 former chairs who have gone before me, has been a privilege and a career highlight. As I take a moment to reflect on my time as Chair, my overwhelming feeling is one joy. It really has been a year filled with fun, laughter and friendship.
2025 has seen our largest ever programme of events taking place across the UK and Ireland under our PLA30 banner. Our two main anniversary celebrations — at the Annual Conference in the Natural History Museum in Oxford in March and at our Summer Party in St-Martin-in-the-Fields in July — were unforgettable. They captured the Association at its best: connected, energetic and always up for a dance.
Whether providing the very best in class education and training programmes; advocating for law reform; supporting junior PLA members to develop their industry networks; championing inclusion and diversity; or advancing members wellbeing, each event and initiative this year has also offered members the opportunity to build new relationships. I believe this is why the PLA is such a brilliant association. Having the opportunity to build genuine connections with peers – who are often on the opposite side of a transaction or a case – can not only help the day job run smoother, but can also create personal support networks which are invaluable to members balancing careers in our demanding, fast-paced industry.
I also recognise the positive impact of having two women holding the positions of Chair and Vice Chair and also having seven of the ten Executive Committee roles held by women. We can often take it for granted as property litigators that we have gender balance amongst our membership, but also having gender balance within the Association’s leadership stands out in our industry. Many members have commented to me on how refreshing and inspiring it is to see woman leading the PLA, particularly when many law firms still have few women in their most senior ranks.
The PLA are proud to be an open, inclusive and diverse Association and long may that continue; irrespective of any regressive political headwinds which surrounds us.
Widening Access to the Real Estate Industry
Two particular highlights that stand out for me in 2025 are the PLA’s partnership with UKREiiF in May and also our support for social mobility initiatives, both of which have advanced the PLA’s commitment to finding ways to widen access to the real estate industry.
As two state school educated lawyers, and the first in our families to go to university, Kate Andrews and I are both passionate about social mobility and not just talking about it but actually implementing change through action.
During 2025, the PLA has championed the work of two organisations which are making a real difference. In March, Stephen Yorke of The Academy of Real Assets addressed our members at our Annual Conference in Oxford and invited them to get involved in their work. Founded in 2020, The Academy is a social enterprise which connects the UK’s leading real estate and real assets firms with students at UK state schools by providing careers events and work experience opportunities. Last week at our Autumn Training Day in London, we invited Paddy Allen, Chair of Pathways to Property, to share the opportunities for members to get involved in its hugely successful Summer School; to host an insight day or participate in its schools outreach programme. Connecting these two brilliant organisations with PLA members, and their firms, has the potential to make a tangible impact by helping students from underrepresented backgrounds learn about and access opportunities right across the real estate sector.
The PLA’s partnership with UKREiiF in May was a result of our commitment to finding tangible ways to support our junior PLA members, which represent over 40% of our membership, in raising their profiles and becoming more visible in the real estate industry. As part of the partnership, UKREiiF offered the PLA 15 complimentary tickets for JPLA members and also the opportunity to host a unique panel event as part of the main programme focusing on the Renters’ Rights Bill. In return, UKREiiF benefitted from the presence, insights and ideas of the next generation of property litigators. The 15 ‘PLA Ambassadors’ were selected from a diverse range of backgrounds and represented firms across the UK. Each Ambassador fully embraced the UKREiiF experience, by networking with colleagues across the real estate industry and gaining valuable insights into the evolving real estate landscape.
PLA Executive Committee and Sub-Committee members at the AGM
Planning for the future
Alongside taking time to celebrate the PLA’s achievements in our 30th anniversary year, the Executive Committee has been looking ahead to the future. The PLA Law Reform Committee will continue to play an important role in representing our members by advocating positive law reform and it welcomed the recent announcement of the Law Commission’s much-awaited 14th Programme of Law Reform. The Commission’s plans, in particular, to review the Landlord and Tenant (Covenants) Act 1995 and the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 are both areas in which the PLA has long been advocating reform and which will be widely welcomed across the real estate industry.
Continuing to expand our reach and impact on members across the UK and Ireland will also remain a priority. The past five years has seen huge growth in our membership across the North, which is now our second largest region after London and the South East. Our Northern Training Day in September is a highlight in our events calendar and this year attracted over 120 members. We are investing resource into seeking similar growth across our other regions and I was delighted to see our new regional chairs, Lynsey Ellard in East Anglia and David Benjamin in the South West & South Wales, hit the ground running in 2025 arranging hugely popular events which have attracted new members to the PLA.
The work of the PLA would not be possible without the incredible time and effort invested by all those members who volunteer to serve on our Executive Committee and sub-committees. Working alongside them all during this past year, and during the decade I have been involved in PLA committees, has helped me develop my own passion for our industry and I thank them all for their support and commitment.
As I hand over the top job to my great friend, Kate Andrews, I do so with the confidence that as your new Chair she will continue to be the role model for our members and champion for the work of the PLA. She will be supported by Paul Barker as Vice-Chair, whose many years of experience as Regions Chair will be invaluable in continuing our growth. I will be on hand to offer them encouragement and support in the role of Immediate Past Chair, with the mandate to act as a conduit between other former PLA chairs and the Executive Committee, whilst also being more than happy to help plan any parties!
As is now tradition for every outgoing Chair, my final call to action is to invite anyone considering getting involved in the work of the PLA to take the next step and get in touch: events@pla.org.uk. It is not only hugely rewarding but, as you can see from the 30thAnniversary photo booth gallery, also tremendous fun.
Rebecca Campbell
Chair of the Property Litigation Association 2024 to 2025
