Posted on: May 13th, 2026 by Ella Darnell
I am a senior banking and finance lawyer with over 10 years’ experience advising on cross-border debt finance transactions, with a particular focus on LMA-based documentation.
I joined Lawrence Stephens in May 2026. Previously, I had been a Senior Associate in the Banking team at TLT LLP since 2021, and I played a key role in developing the firm’s India Group and broader international banking practice.
I have extensive experience acting for lenders on cross-border secured financings, typically in the range of £20 million to £150 million.
I am known for my client-focused approach, working closely with clients to understand their commercial priorities and delivering pragmatic solutions within demanding timelines.
Prior to relocating to the UK, I practised in India between 2015 and 2021 with ICICI Bank Limited and IndusLaw, gaining valuable in-house and private practice experience.
Experience highlights
- Advised the UK subsidiary of a leading international bank on its syndicated term and revolving credit facilities of US$150m to a large multinational corporate headquartered in India
- Advised the UK subsidiary of a leading Indian bank in its term loan of US$100m to India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (Government of India owned company)
- Advised ICICI Bank UK Plc in relation to its £60m term loan to Kenmin (HP) Ltd for financing a prime apartment complex in Kensington, London
- Advised ICICI Bank UK Plc in relation to its £22m refinancing of the St. James Court Hotel, London including a new term loan and working capital facility
- Advised a UK Bank in relation to an acquisition financing transaction of £45m to a UK borrower towards part-financing of its acquisition of shares in two hotels owning SPVs
Posted on: May 5th, 2026 by Ella Darnell
I joined Lawrence Stephens in April 2026 as a Paralegal in the Banking Team. Joining Lawrence Stephens marked a career change for me as I had previously worked in the Education Sector for over twenty years. I was a Primary School Teacher, a Special Educational Needs Coordinator, a member of the Senior Leadership Team and a Senior Mental Health Lead.
Outside of work, I enjoy going to concerts regularly. I also play badminton and tennis and love an annual visit to Wimbledon, if I’m lucky enough to get tickets!
Posted on: February 11th, 2026 by Ella Darnell
I joined Lawrence Stephens in February 2026 within the Real Estate Finance team. Prior to this, I was an SQE trainee for an international full-service law firm based in the City of London.
My experience is predominately within real estate, acting for both borrowers and bridging lenders on property transactions. I also have experience in landlord and tenant matters and acting for franchise clients on commercial lease transactions.
Outside of work, I enjoy keeping active and regularly play football and badminton.
Experience Highlights
- Acted for a publicly listed oil company in the restructuring of their commercial real estate portfolio
- Acted on a distressed refinance involving a multi-property secured lending arrangement, including supporting refinance arrangements and liaising with the lender in relation to enforcement risk
- Supported a £1m corporate acquisition involving the share purchase of a property-holding company
- Acted on a development finance transaction in connection with the development of a residential scheme comprising 10 dwellings for a corporate borrower
- Acted on a £3.5m acquisition of a commercial office building in Bracknell
Posted on: January 13th, 2026 by Ella Darnell
I joined Lawrence Stephens in 2026, as a Partner in the Real Estate Finance department. I have extensive experience advising banks, alternative lenders, and funders on a wide range of domestic and cross-border financing transactions. My practice covers real estate investment and acquisition finance, offering strategic guidance to clients navigating complex funding structures.
I have a deep understanding of lender priorities and structuring requirements, enabling me to provide practical, solutions-focused advice across all stages of a transaction. I work closely with mainstream and challenger banks, bridging lenders, mezzanine funders, and institutional investors, helping them structure and execute secured lending arrangements with confidence.
I regularly advise on financing across a range of asset classes, including residential and commercial developments, student accommodation, retail, office spaces, and mixed-use schemes. My commercial approach and ability to anticipate lender concerns make me a trusted advisor in the real estate finance sector.
Posted on: November 11th, 2025 by Ella Darnell
I joined Lawrence Stephens’ Banking team as an Associate in October 2025.
I have experience on a variety of finance transactions having acted for overseas banks, bridging lenders, funders, developers and corporate borrowers. I have a particular focus on real estate finance projects from investment/acquisitions, development and construction finance as well as short-term bridging loans often involving complex assets.
In terms of wider banking, I have assisted lenders restructuring deals, advised funders on participation agreements and drafted security arrangements including share charges, bank account charges and assignments of underlying borrower security.
Experience highlights
- Acted for a private bank on a £4 million refinance of four South London properties involving both commercial and residential units
- Acted for numerous property finance lenders on a variety of bridging and development finance loans
- Acted for a corporate borrower on a £5 million plus refinance to support a residential apartment development project
- Acted for an individual borrower on a £6 million refinance of 8 residential flats under the terms of a sharia compliant Murabaha facility arrangement
Posted on: September 1st, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I joined Lawrence Stephens as a Trainee Solicitor in September 2025 and currently work in the Banking team, having also worked in the Private Wealth and Succession Planning team.
After graduating Northumbria University with a BSc in Psychology with Sports Science, I went on to complete the GDL and LPC with LLM.
Outside of work I play rugby and have travelled internationally to play rugby 7s. I also enjoy going to the gym and spending time with family and friends.
Posted on: February 20th, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I am an Associate in the Real Estate Finance Department having joined Lawrence Stephens in February 2025. Since qualifying as a solicitor in 2021, I have gained experience in acting for leading banks and lenders in relation to commercial and residential property development and investment, refinances and property portfolio financing arrangements.
I pride myself in providing clear and concise legal advice to clients to navigate their transactions effectively whilst providing commercially focused solutions when required.
Experience
- Acting for a lender on a £9.5million loan secured over a property acquisition on Bishops Avenue, Hampstead
- Acting for a lender on a £8million loan secured over a hotel
- Acting on the acquisition, planning, development and forward sale of a mix-used development with a gross development value (GDV) of £16.5million.
- Acting for lender on numerous acquisitions, refinancing and development financing transactions over commercial property, land, residential portfolios, and hotels in high value prime locations.
Posted on: October 8th, 2024 by Hugh Dineen-Lees
I joined Lawrence Stephens as a trainee solicitor in September 2024. I currently sit in the Property Litigation & Banking Recoveries team, having completed seats with the Sports and Entertainment, Employment, and Banking teams.
Prior to completing an LLM with SQE at BPP University, I graduated with a first-class degree in Spanish and Economics from Cardiff University.
In my free time, I enjoy both watching and playing a variety of sports, particularly rowing and rugby. I also like travelling and spending time with friends.
Posted on: October 4th, 2023 by Yvonne Uzoka
I joined Lawrence Stephens in 2023 and recently qualified into the Banking department, where I advise lenders, borrowers, and investors on a broad range of finance transactions.
I have a wide background in real estate, having worked in commercial real estate, non-performing lending, and as in house counsel at the UK’s fastest growing EV charging network.
Outside of work I usually spend my time on a motorbike, or golf course; two passions that teach a lot about balance, risk and always looking ahead.
Experience
- Advising on and drafting investment and development facilities, security and intercreditor documents for a wide range of banking, corporate and real estate finance transactions.
- Acting and advising receiver and lender clients on non-performing loans and the sale of various secured assets, often involving multiple secured and unsecured creditors.
- Advising private individuals and family offices (in their capacity as a lender or borrower) in smaller loan and security arrangements.
Posted on: February 28th, 2023 by Natasha Cox
I am an experienced finance lawyer, responsible for executing transactions on behalf of banks, alternative lenders, sponsors and borrowers. During my career I have acted for numerous leading underwriters and top-tier and mid-market sponsors in the European market and have spent time on secondment (in the loan finance and structured finance legal teams) at an international investment bank.
My practice encompasses all forms of lending. This ranges from leveraged finance transactions (acquisition financing, unitranche and PIK loans), real estate finance (investment, development and bridge lending), general corporate lending (RCFs and term loans) and more bespoke funding structures (margin lending, factoring, loan-on-loan and participation agreements).
To date, I have advised on hundreds of deals from term sheet stage, through document negotiation, to signing and completion and managing any post-close matters. I mix sensible legal advice on key risk points with an eye on the commercial imperatives and flow of a transaction.
Away from work, I enjoy all forms of sport (especially rugby and running) and spending time with family and friends.
Experience highlights
- Acting for a sponsor on a €100million term loan with a European credit fund
- Acting for a sponsor on a unitranche and acquisition finance facility with private debt fund Eurazeo
- Acting for a sponsor on £52million acquisition facility and RCF with the private debt fund arm of an international bank
- Acting for a borrower in respect of a £25million loan-on-loan RCF with the fintech bank OakNorth
- Acting for a London based developer on a bespoke £12million financing package (including with a crowd funding platform and a sales guarantee)
- Acting for approximately 15 UK based lenders on real estate finance and general corporate lending matters
Posted on: February 15th, 2023 by Natasha Cox
I joined Lawrence Stephens as Head of Banking in September 2022, having led the Real Estate Finance department at a Top 200 UK law firm for almost five years.
I act for a wide range of different lenders, non-bank lenders, alternative lenders, entrepreneurs, private family offices, property companies, funds, sponsors, developers, joint venture vehicles, entrepreneurs and borrowers on real estate investment and development finance projects across the UK ranging from £100,000 to £75m.
The bulk of the transactions I advise on are between £1m and £50m and span a wide variety of asset classes including residential, office, PRS, student accommodation, mixed use schemes, hotel, retail and buy to let projects. I also have extensive experience working on transactions which involve international elements and offshore jurisdictions and working for international based clients looking to invest in the UK on property transactions.
I enjoy working with a variety of different clients from the individual investor to the family office or corporate institution or variety of different lenders and no one client is the same. I enjoy advising my clients on a wide range of issues (not exclusively related to just Banking and Real Estate Finance). In addition to documenting and negotiating transactions, I advise on structuring deals and on real estate financing issues and have also been on secondment to a clearing bank.
Experience highlights
- Acting for a wide range of different bridging lenders, clearing banks, alternative lenders, private banks and non-bank lenders in respect of numerous investment and development facilities for numerous real estate transactions ranging between £250,000 to £75m for UK-based and international borrowers across different asset classes such as residential, PRS, commercial, office, student accommodation, retail and mixed use schemes
- Advising a private equity fund in connection with a £200m investment in a UK development finance lending platform, to assist an alternative lender in providing development finance in the UK residential market
- Advising a privately owned family property company based in the UK in connection with a £33m senior loan facility for a mixed portfolio of properties in Chelsea
- Acting for a group of investors on the £5m bridging, £35m development finance, £35m investment finance and eventual sale of a 750 bed PRS scheme in North England to an international buyer
- Advising the borrower on the £65m refinancing of an office development in the City of London and subsequent partial debt transfer to a senior lender
- Advising a senior lender in respect of a £5m refinancing secured on a range of residential buy to let properties
- Acted for an alternative lender providing a secured property finance facility for the development of a student accommodation block in North England with a gross development value of £20m
- Acted for a lender in relation to the £20m refinancing of a student accommodation scheme in Bristol, which involved finance, real estate and construction advice
- Advising various listed managed funds in relation to numerous financings totalling £500m with different lenders in respect of the purchase of over 100 properties ranging from residential, mixed use and commercial investments and developments in the UK
- Advising a UK property development company in connection with a £5m term loan provided by a local authority to fund the forward purchase and development of an office building
- Acting for a private family based property company on the £15m development finance of a student accommodation project with an alternative lender
Posted on: February 10th, 2023 by Natasha Cox
I qualified as a Solicitor in 2019 having previously worked in the property department of a City law firm for a number of years. I joined Lawrence Stephens’ Real Estate Finance department at the start of 2023.
I have experience in dealing with a variety of matters related to real estate, for both freehold and leasehold properties as well as new developments advising individual and corporate clients. I have focused on working with regulated and unregulated banks for property refinances, bridging loans and secured lending. My experience includes acting on behalf of lenders as well as borrowers and strives to understand the needs of my clients.
In my spare time, I enjoy travelling and exploring new cultures and foods and, in particular, a nature walk around the Cotswold’s. I also love a friendly game of squash or tennis with my friends.
Experience highlights
- Acting on behalf of various lenders for both purchases and refinances
- Assisted in completing a large refinance deal with portfolio of 17 properties
