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Lawrence Stephens hosts An Audience with Karen Millen

Posted on: July 14th, 2025 by Natasha Cox

Directors Stephen Messias, Nickhil Mandora and Alexa Kordowicz were delighted to host An Audience with Karen Millen OBE in partnership with the Foundxrs Club, a private membership club for founders and entrepreneurs.

Karen is well-known for her sophisticated, tailored womenswear and the brand grew into an iconic name in British fashion with a presence in over 65 countries. Karen exited her business following its sale to Icelandic bank Kaupthing.

Head of Retail and Hospitality sector Nickhil Mandora introduced the firm to members followed by Karen who shared her inspiring journey from founding a small boutique in Kent with just £100 to building a globally recognised fashion brand valued at over £120 million.

Karen’s thought-provoking story was a powerful example of entrepreneurial vision, resilience, and strategic growth.  She relayed the challenges of building a global fashion empire, navigating the complexities of business ownership and exit, which resonated with the audience of fast-growing entrepreneurial businesses.

For more information on our Retail and Hospitality services, please click here.

Lawrence Stephens advises Scutum on strategic acquisition of Black Box Group

Posted on: July 11th, 2025 by Alanah Lenten

Lawrence Stephens has advised global security and fire protection provider Scutum UK & Ireland on its acquisition of Black Box Group, a leading integrated fire and security solutions provider based in the Northwest of England.

Founded over 45 years ago, Black Box Group delivers end-to-end fire and electronic security services including system design, installation, maintenance, and 24/7 monitoring. The group comprises Black Box Security Alarm Systems (BBS), INS (Integrated Network Systems), and ESI (Electronic Security Installations), and serves clients across sectors such as education, healthcare, defence, and commercial property.

The acquisition, completed in tandem with a second,  significantly strengthens Scutum’s regional presence in the Northwest, complementing its existing fire detection capabilities and enhancing its strategic account offering across the UK.

The Lawrence Stephens team was led by Corporate and Commercial Head Jeff Rubenstein, supported by Tax Director Leigh Sayliss, Senior Associates Harshita Samani and Krysha Hunt, and Solicitors Avni Patel, Becci Collins and Carla Bernstein.

Jeff Rubenstein commented: “We are delighted to have supported Scutum, a long standing and valued client for Lawrence Stephens, on this important strategic acquisition. The integration of Black Box Group marks a significant step in Scutum’s UK growth strategy, and we are proud to have played a role in bringing this deal to completion. It was a pleasure working with the Scutum team. Their collaborative approach was greatly appreciated and we look forward to supporting them on future transactions”

Richard Jones, Chief Executive Officer of Scutum UK & Ireland, added: “We are extremely grateful to the team at Lawrence Stephens for their expert guidance and commitment throughout the transaction. Their commercial insight and responsive approach were instrumental in helping us complete this important acquisition efficiently and effectively.”

 

Lawrence Stephens secures rescission of winding-up order

Posted on: July 10th, 2025 by Natasha Cox

The Lawrence Stephens Restructuring and Insolvency team, represented by Associate Lefteris Kallou, have succeeded in making an application to rescind a winding-up order. This is a relatively rare order granted only in exceptional circumstances, and which is the subject of very few reported cases in England and Wales.

The order, made under Rule 12.59 and Schedule 5(3) of the Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016, enabled our client (shareholder of the company) to regain control of his company from the Official Receiver and resume trading, thereby minimising the company’s exposure.

This matter involved several significant challenges:

Out-of-time application: We were instructed outside the strict five-business-day time limit for rescission applications. We successfully argued that exceptional circumstances justified the court exercising its discretion to allow the application to proceed.

Evidencing solvency post-winding-up: Despite a winding-up order having already been made, it was crucial to demonstrate that the company remained fundamentally solvent. We worked closely with the client to assess the company’s financials, debtor lists, and trading impact. We presented robust evidence, including up-to-date financial statements and management accounts, confirming the company’s ability to meet its debts.

Full discharge of unsecured creditors: A key condition was full repayment of the company’s unsecured creditors. In this case, all trade creditors had been discharged in advance of the hearing. The remaining creditor, HMRC (the petitioning creditor), had not confirmed up-to-date figures or bank details prior to the hearing. To provide the court with the necessary comfort, the client transferred £1.2 million into our client account to adequately cover the company’s HMRC liability. This allowed us to provide a solicitor’s undertaking to make full payment immediately upon HMRC’s confirmation.

Rare neutrality from the Official Receiver: Typically, where the petitioning creditor has not yet been paid (or where the petitioning creditor’s involvement has been limited), the Official Receiver will oppose rescission. In this case, however, the Official Receiver took the unusual step of remaining neutral – a significant factor in the court’s decision to grant the order.

Preventing receiver appointment by secured creditor: We engaged with Barclays, the secured creditor, to negotiate a temporary standstill pending the outcome of our client’s application. The delay in enforcement action prevented significant costs being incurred whilst preserving the company’s position during the interim.

Commenting on the case, Lefteris Kallou said “This matter presented a unique combination of procedural, evidential, and strategic challenges over a very short period of time. The court’s decision reflects both the strength of our client’s position and the structured approach we took in presenting it”.

For further information on our insolvency and restructuring services please click here

Gregg Wallace sacked by BBC: Businesses must take a strong stance against workplace misconduct

Posted on: July 9th, 2025 by Natasha Cox

Following the news that presenter Gregg Wallace has been sacked by the BBC over an inquiry into alleged misconduct, Solicitor Becci Collins comments on the importance of businesses taking strong and immediate action against inappropriate behavior in the workplace.

Becci’s comments were published in Personnel Today, 9 July 2025, and can be found here.

Becci Collins, a solicitor in the employment team at Lawrence Stephens, said Wallace’s dismissal was “a stark reminder that inappropriate workplace behaviour will not be tolerated.

“However it is concerning that individuals have reported concerns about his behaviour for many years without action being taken.

“Employers must do better in complying with their obligations to employees, particularly in relation to their obligation to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.

“The reputation and seniority of the individuals about whom complaints are made must have no bearing on how those complaints are investigated, what outcomes are reached or the punishments meted out to those who violate the law on harassment and discrimination.”

To find out more about employer obligations and how we can help, please click here

Ban on non-disclosure agreements: victory or vanity?

Posted on: July 9th, 2025 by Natasha Cox

The government’s press release of 8 July 2025[1] sets out its proposal to amend the Employment Rights Bill (‘ERB’) to introduce a statutory ban on employers using non-disclosure agreements (‘NDAs’) in cases where an employee alleges harassment, sexual harassment or discrimination.

While the ERB already contained a variation to the Employment Rights Act 1996 to extend the scope of whistleblowing legislation to include allegations of sexual harassment, this new amendment could completely rewrite the rules on how employers deal with claims of harassment and discrimination by employees. But is it really the glorious victory campaigners make it out to be?

What is an NDA?

In employment law, NDAs are most commonly used in the form of a confidentiality clause. They are found in a number of employment-related documents, including contracts of employment.

It has also been standard practice for some time that settlement agreements entered into between employers and employees (either on termination of the employee’s employment or as part of the settlement of an ongoing Employment Tribunal claim) include a confidentiality clause preventing the disclosure of the existence of the settlement agreement. Crucially, they also prevent the disclosure of the circumstances leading up to the settlement agreement. This has traditionally been one of the biggest benefits for employers, allowing them to minimise the risk of adverse PR arising from Employment Tribunal claims. So why would the government take that benefit away?

The government’s rationale

The current proposal is not to ban NDAs in their entirety. However, their use will be severely curtailed in that they will be barred in cases of discrimination and harassment. 

There are existing mechanisms in place that restrict the use of NDAs. For example, any attempt to prevent an employee from making a protected disclosure under whistleblowing legislation (for example reporting a criminal offence to the authorities) is unenforceable. There has also been non-statutory guidance published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission[1] in place since 2019 on the use of confidentiality agreements in discrimination, harassment and victimisation cases. However, these protections have been criticised as too weak and that is why the government has tabled this amendment to the ERB. Campaigners say that NDAs have been misused for too long, ‘silencing’ victims of discrimination and harassment by preventing them from speaking about their experiences in the workplace. High profile cases such as that of Zelda Perkins (an ex-assistant of Harvey Weinstein) who has fought the NDA she signed for the last eight years, highlight why campaigners felt this change was needed.  

Effect on settlement agreements

If passed, the ban will mean that any NDAs that seek to prevent an employee disclosing an allegation of harassment, sexual harassment or discrimination will be unenforceable.

While this change will affect the use of NDAs in any employment documentation, the change will be most keenly felt in relation to settlement agreements.

These agreements have an important place in settling employment disputes, providing certainty and closure for both employees and employers. There is a risk that the government’s proposal will place employees at a disadvantage because employers may be less inclined to enter into settlements when they no longer have the comfort that the circumstances complained of, and any settlement reached, will remain confidential. This may force employees to pursue their claim via the Employment Tribunal, a process which is expensive and arduous, particularly due to the extreme delays within the Tribunal service. For these reasons, the government is unlikely to achieve its aim of ensuring that employees are no longer forced to suffer in silence because instead they may be forced to either walk away with nothing, or simply ‘put up and shut up’.

That said, if the ban on NDAs does come into force, settlement agreements will remain an important mechanism for employers in dealing with employment disputes because:

  • With the current Tribunal backlog, the average time from issuing a claim to a final hearing is over a year (and more commonly, over 18 months in cases of discrimination). This means that seeing cases all the way through the Tribunal process will result in significant legal costs.
  • In addition, litigation is distracting and time consuming, sucking up resources that could be used elsewhere.
  • Key witnesses may have left the business prior to a final hearing, meaning the company won’t be best placed to defend itself.
  • The ERB is a significant overhaul of employment legislation and creates several ‘Day 1’ rights for employees, including protection against unfair dismissal, which will further increase the wait time for Employment Tribunal claims.
  • In matters not involving allegations of harassment, sexual harassment or discrimination, the ban has no effect.

When will this be implemented?

The government’s July 2025 roadmap for implementing the ERB[2] describes a phased approach to implementation. Some changes will take effect on the day the ERB is given Royal Assent, while others will take effect from April 2026 and October 2026. It is not yet known when this amendment, if passed, will take effect, but it would be no later than 2027.

Get in touch if you require further guidance on the use of NDAs or in relation to allegations of harassment, sexual harassment or discrimination.

[1] Government Press Release: Press release: Ban on controversial NDAs silencing abuse

[2] Implementing the Employment Rights Bill – Our roadmap for delivering change

 

 

 

DEI in Real Estate Finance: How Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Are Reshaping the Sector

Posted on: July 9th, 2025 by Ella Darnell

Director Rachel Coulthard comments in Private Equity and Real Estate (PERE) Magazine on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the real estate finance space.

Rachel’s comments were published in PERE, 1 July 2025, and can be found on page 69 of the issue, here.

“There has been a massive increase in the prevalence of DEI awareness. Many organisations have implemented regular training and promoted conversations about the impact of language towards women and minority groups, for instance knowing not to use infantilising language towards women.”

“Investors and managers are now accepting that DEI is not just important to promote inclusive workplaces, but also vital to attract and retain employees. The best want the best, and by any measure, equality is what is best. For instance, we have created a Gender Equality Network, which seeks parity between the sexes. This includes goals such as increasing our proportion of women directors and striving for equal pay for employees, regardless of gender.

“I lead our Women in Real Estate Finance initiative, which spotlights the incredible work being done by women in the sector and creates further opportunities for women, both by building networks of like-minded individuals and by giving more junior women in the field mentoring and educational growth opportunities.”

“While progress has been achieved, it has not been without hurdles and occasional setbacks. Most notably, there has been a social and political backlash to DEI in the United States, and many major law firms, corporations, and other non-government bodies have either lessened their emphasis on DEI or removed it entirely. Furthermore, the increase and normalisation of toxic masculinity among influencers has shifted the landscape for younger generations. These trends are deeply troubling, and all those who believe in and fight for equality and inclusion need to stand their ground amidst the current climate.” 

Lawrence Stephens Joins Castle Trust Bank’s Prestigious Legal Panel

Posted on: July 8th, 2025 by zhewison

Lawrence Stephens is pleased to announce that we have been appointed to the legal panel of Castle Trust Bank.

Castle Trust’s range of specialist Bridging products covers standard bridging as well as light and heavy refurbishments, and their Buy to Let product provides longer-term funding with competitive fixed rates. Their business volumes have increased significantly over the last nine months, to the point where their legal panel warrants further expansion to help meet demand.

As a leading provider of legal services, Lawrence Stephens is excited to bring our specialist expertise in real estate finance and banking to Castle Trust Bank’s panel of legal advisors.

Anna Lewis, Commercial Director – Property comments: “We are delighted to welcome Lawrence Stephens to our exclusive panel of legal advisors. Demand for our Bridging and Buy to Let products has increased significantly over the last nine months and we expect that trend to continue. Bringing the expertise and experience of Lawrence Stephens onto our legal panel will help ensure we can continue to meet the high standards that specialist brokers have come to expect from Castle Trust Bank. ”

Gregory Palos, Head of Financial Institutions Sector at Lawrence Stephens comments: “We are thrilled to have been appointed to Castle Trust Bank’s legal panel. It is a pleasure to work with a bank that prioritises strong relationships and delivers a bespoke, tailored service, and client focused solutions – values that closely align with our own.
We look forward to collaborating with Castle Trust Bank to support its mission of accelerating their continued growth.”

For more information on our Banking and Real Estate Finance solutions please click here.

Lawrence Stephens & Howden Unveil Innovative Crypto Theft Recovery Solution

Posted on: July 7th, 2025 by Natasha Cox

Lawrence Stephens has partnered with Howden, the global insurance intermediary group, to launch a first-of-its-kind solution for the cryptocurrency sector. This innovative facility combines robust crypto theft insurance with expert legal asset recovery services, offering clients a comprehensive and credible response to digital asset theft.

The new solution delivers more than just insurance – it provides clients with a fully integrated approach that includes legal expertise, access to leading crypto vendors, and forensic recovery capabilities.

“At Howden, we believe in delivering solutions that go beyond traditional insurance,” said Freddie Palmer, Head of Digital Assets and Blockchain at Howden. “By partnering with Lawrence Stephens, we’re empowering our clients with a seamless, end-to-end service that combines technical insurance advice, legal recourse, and access to the broader crypto ecosystem. It’s a powerful response to one of the industry’s most urgent challenges.”

Key features of the facility include:

  • Specialist legal support from Lawrence Stephens to initiate asset freezing and recovery proceedings.
  • Insurance coverage that includes partial reimbursement of legal recovery costs when engaging Lawrence Stephens.
  • Access to a trusted network of crypto vendors and forensic experts to trace and recover stolen assets.

“We’re delighted to offer our legal expertise to the insurance market through this collaboration with Howden,” said Matt Green, Head of Blockchain, Digital Assets and Technology Disputes at Lawrence Stephens. “After all, the legal process began helping an insurer reclaim payment following a ransomware attack.”

This launch marks a significant step forward in institutionalising crypto asset protection, offering clients a credible, structured, and responsive solution in an increasingly complex digital landscape. As digital assets become more mainstream, institutional-grade protection is essential to build trust, reduce risk, and support the long-term growth of the crypto economy.

To find out more about our Blockchain, Digital Assets and Technology Disputes services, please click here

Strategic Growth: Lawrence Stephens Appoints Zahra Shah to Strengthen Real Estate Finance Practice

Posted on: July 4th, 2025 by Ella Darnell
Lawrence Stephens is pleased to announce the appointment of Zahra Shah as Senior Associate to its Real Estate Finance team.
 
Zahra joins us from a high street firm, where she was a Partner in the Real Estate department. She brings extensive experience across both residential and commercial property matters, with particular expertise in real estate finance. Zahra qualified as a Solicitor in 2019, having previously worked as a real estate paralegal at the Department for Education. Her appointment further strengthens our team’s capabilities and reflects our continued commitment to growth.
 
Head of Real Estate Finance, Ann Ebberson said “I’m pleased to welcome Zahra Shah to Lawrence Stephens and our Real Estate Finance team. Zahra brings strong and diverse sector experience, that will further strengthen our team’s capabilities. Her appointment marks another exciting step in the firm’s continued growth and reflects our commitment to expanding our expertise and commercial reach.”

Why Agile Leadership Is Key to Law Firm Culture and Expansion

Posted on: July 3rd, 2025 by Natasha Cox

Chief Operating Officer Johnny Nichols comments in Legal Practice Management magazine on how Lawrence Stephens’ strong people-first culture, and focus on developing an effective leadership model, has enabled the firm’s continued growth and development.

Johnny’s comments were published in People Management Magazine’s July edition, and can be found here.

How would you describe your firm’s current leadership model? 

“Our leadership model is both flat and lean. Flat in that we have a number of departments focused on particular legal disciplines and markets, but all with a say in the management and direction of the firm. Lean in that there are few lawyers who have time targets devoted to this.

“There are essentially three layers of leadership: the Senior Directors, who own the firm, Directors, who lead on the legal services we offer, and the Executive Committee who take day-to-day decisions on behalf of the firm.

“A flat and lean organisational structure, with fewer management layers, offers several benefits including faster decision-making, improved communication, increased employee autonomy, and a more agile response to changes with little need for consensus building. This makes us more agile and able to take advantage of opportunities where other firms may struggle. A recent example of this was the recruitment of a Real Estate team from Memery Crystal during its recent crisis, from under the noses of several larger firms. We were able to meet with and agree terms quickly and decisively, which resonated well with those teams affected.

“However, we recognise that this flat structure may become unwieldy as the firm grows and more streamlining may be required.”  

Have you considered or introduced new roles to lead certain aspects of your firm?

“Having recognised the need for growth and the limitations of Directors undertaking these roles (with neither the time nor the expertise) the firm took the decision to firstly recruit a Chief Operating Officer (me) to take the lead on the establishment of a fully functioning and appropriately empowered Business Services team. This included a new Head of Learning and Development, Head of Risk and Compliance, and more recently a Chief Finance Officer. As law firms become more sophisticated and the level of compliance and regulation has increased, law firms have had to recruit specialists into these roles in order to meet these. Having these people on board also relieves fee earners from tasks they were fundamentally ill-equipped for anyway, allowing them to focus on their fee earning roles.”

What steps is your firm taking to develop business and leadership skills among fee earners?

“Fee earners are not taught this at law school and to expect them to be able to just pick this up ‘on the job’ is unrealistic. Developing business and leadership skills through formal programmes is then really important and we are providing more training for line managers on their role, enabling them to better support and motivate staff.

“Formal programmes now exist to offer firmwide DEI training, and regular ‘lunch and learn’ events foster a collaborative, knowledge sharing environment. These often involve using existing expertise at the firm to upskill others, which in itself is a developmental activity. On top of these firmwide approaches, targeted groups now have new training programmes to support through crucial periods of their career, for example at Senior Associate level. More bespoke training is also available, including targeted coaching for staff where required.”

Succession planning is a common challenge among SME firms – how is yours preparing the next generation of leaders? 

“Recognising the limitations of the lockstep model, our firm has already moved away from this and is now constituted as a limited company. A limited company provides a more structured framework for managing the business, with clear roles for directors and shareholders, which is beneficial in a larger firm with complex operations.

“In terms of diversity, we work hard to ensure that everyone at our firm is treated fairly and equally. This includes our recruitment processes, career development, recognition and reward. As part of this initiative, the firm has agreed a target of 25% females in Directorship by 2026, and we look set to achieve this target by next year.”

How important is it for firms to shift focus away from individual performance exclusively? What practical steps are you taking to encourage effective collaboration?

“We have hosted a number of training sessions over the last year for cohorts at different stages of their careers which included discussions on the themes raised in the DCM Insights research.  We recognise the need for effective collaboration across all our activities and our own efforts to encourage this include a move away from purely  ‘X times salary’ targets for individuals. These are now considered at department level and budgets set to support work being fed down to more junior levels and to allow time for more managerial/strategy work for those more senior.

“When it comes to feeding back, individual reviews are still seen as important, but should always be considered in the wider picture, and 360 degree feedback is encouraged.”

Looking ahead to 2030, what defining leadership qualities or frameworks will separate thriving firms from struggling ones?

“Many firms talk about their unique culture being the key to their success. There is considerable evidence to support the view that a strong and distinct culture can lead to increased revenue, employee satisfaction, and improved client satisfaction. Against this positive backdrop, there is also growing evidence of increasing consolidation of law firms and potentially increasing external investment in law firms in the lead up to 2023. Both these themes introduce a level of change and potential disruption and it’s my view that only firms with a strong and engaged leadership will be able to maintain and develop a positive culture in the light of such change in what is regarded as vital to a thriving firm.

“So, looking ahead, I think that the most important quality for successful law firm leaders will be the ability to not only maintain and manage an existing culture, but be able to adapt to external influence brought about through combining teams and firms, and the involvement of any external investors along the way.”.

To find out more about our story, values and management approach, please click here

 

FCA Widens Scope of Non-Financial Misconduct Rules

Posted on: July 3rd, 2025 by Natasha Cox

Senior Associate Emma Cocker comments on the FCA’s announcement that it will treat bullying and harassment as serious ‘non-financial misconduct’ across all regulated firms – not just banks.

Emma’s comments were published in Personnel Today, 2 July 2025, and can be found here.

“For too long there has been a mismatch between what the FCA’s rules say about non-financial misconduct and what has actually been said and done about such behaviour.

“Under these new guidelines, poor personal behaviour will be treated in the same way as financial misconduct, meaning it will need to be shared in regulatory references to the FCA. As such, it will be much harder for individuals to move from firm to firm to escape their disrepute.

“In addition to the implications on individuals, the new rules will help the regulator to spot cultural failings in firms, which in turn helps to identify instances of poor decision making and risk management, both of which are vitally important qualities in this industry.”

For more information on our employment services, please click here

How to Protect Your Reputation During Major Legal Disputes

Posted on: July 3rd, 2025 by Natasha Cox

Director Dominic Holden comments in City AM on how managing media narratives during litigation can be crucial in helping clients protect their reputation and limiting commercial damage.

Dominic’s comments were published in City AM, 3 July 2025, and can be found here.

“Complex and high-stakes litigation often involves serious allegations being made which are then reported on by the press long before any Judgment is handed down. Winning in court is important, but so too is managing the court of public opinion.

“Letting the narrative run against a client in the lead up to trial can be incredibly damaging to senior management, stakeholders and share price. The adverse news (which may have been generated with the aid of the other side’s PR advisors) can even find its way into evidence and be used to support the other side’s arguments.

“Careful use of PR advisers to ensure the client’s position is fairly reflected in the media is a valuable tool to help avoid a client’s claim from being unfairly prejudiced, and to protect the client’s wider commercial interests.”

To find out more about our litigation and dispute resolution services, please click here