Posted on: October 2nd, 2025 by Ella Darnell
I am a Partner in the Real Estate Finance team at Lawrence Stephens, having joined in 2025.
I am a commercially focused real estate finance solicitor with a strong background in both commercial and residential property. Known for exceptional communication skills and a pragmatic, common-sense approach, clients rely on me for specialist legal advice during fast-moving, high-value transactions.
Highly efficient and solutions-driven, I have experience acting for lenders (primarily banks), borrowers, and on dual-representation deals. I am skilled in development finance and have a strong working knowledge of planning permission.
I consistently deliver a high volume of legal matters and complex timelines without compromising on quality. As a trusted legal advisor, I thrive under pressure and lead high-performing teams. I act for a broad range of clients, including PLCs, overseas clients, companies, trusts, and individuals.
Posted on: June 20th, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I joined Lawrence Stephens as a Senior Associate in 2025, with over 10 years of experience in residential and commercial real estate. I have extensive experience in residential and commercial property and real estate finance, having acted for landlords and tenants, developers, investors, high-net worth individuals and lenders, including specialist lenders.
I am committed to providing my clients with a pragmatic, personable, and efficient service by understanding their needs to meet their goal.
Outside of work I enjoy baking, travelling the world, going to gigs and concerts and spending time with my family and friends.
Experience highlights
- Acting for a bridging lender on a property refinance in Central London for £4m.
- Acting for a HNW client on the purchase of a property worth £6m.
- Acting on a refinance of a portfolio of ten residential properties.
Posted on: May 12th, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I am an Associate in the Commercial Real Estate team at Lawrence Stephens, having joined from Freeths in 2025. I advise a broad range of clients across the retail, office, and hospitality sectors, including landlords and tenants, local authorities, lenders, and investors.
Since qualifying in 2021, I have developed expertise in freehold and leasehold acquisitions and disposals, landlord and tenant matters, secured lending and refinancing, and property management. My experience spans the full lifecycle of commercial property transactions, and I take pride in delivering clear, commercially focused advice.
With a strong sense of commercial awareness, I work closely with clients to understand their business needs and provide pragmatic legal solutions that align with and support their commercial objectives. My approachable manner and attention to detail help me build lasting relationships and ensure a high level of service.
Outside of work, I enjoy travelling and trying to stay fit (emphasis on trying!)
Experience highlights
- Acting on behalf of a lender on the financing of two mixed use properties in Central London with a loan amount of £15.6million
- Acting for a property investor acquiring a freehold property for a total purchase price of £7million
- Refinance of a property in Central London for a loan amount of £9million
- Acting on various leases, acquisitions, and disposals for local authorities, including the purchase of a property for a purchase price of £1.5million
- Acting on behalf of landlord and tenants on numerous leases throughout London with rents ranging from £50,000 – £250,000 per annum.
Posted on: March 3rd, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I joined Lawrence Stephens as an Associate in the Real Estate Finance Department in 2025, having previously worked at a busy West End firm. I have gained extensive experience in a broad range of real estate transactions including property acquisitions and disposals, secured lending, refinancing and bridging loans and including new build transactions.
My key priority is to adapt to the individual needs of my clients, by working closely with them and building a strong working relationship.
Experience
- Last minute instructions taken on a time-sensitive acquisition of a property requiring Islamic financing.
- Acted for a lender on a £4 million refinance which included the restructuring of the limited company.
- Urgent instructions acted upon for a commercial premise with the grant of lease for residential elements.
- Represented a landlord on a mixed use building for a simultaneous grant of lease and re-mortgage of flats.
- Acting for a lender on a £5 million refinance on a portfolio of residential properties.
Posted on: February 20th, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I am paralegal in the Real Estate Finance Department having joined Lawrence Stephens from Memery Crystal in 2025.
I have experience acting on a variety of commercial and residential property transactions for prominent UK lenders.
Prior to my work in real estate transactions, I worked for a leading UK firm in its financial services disputes department – representing several Big Four banks in complex litigation.
Outside of my work, I play a variety of sports and enjoy cooking.
Posted on: February 10th, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I am a Senior Associate in the Real Estate Finance department.
I have extensive experience dealing with a broad spectrum of real estate matters, consisting of but not limited to secured lending of residential and commercial real estate having acted for several institutional, second tier and specialist lenders. I have also acted for investors, developers, high-net-worth individuals (HNWI), and SMEs assisting them in diversifying their property portfolios across the UK.
Furthermore, I have a strong background in landlord and tenant matters, particularly in the grant, renewal and assignment of leases, as well as dealing with underleases, surrenders and variations. I have acted on transactions involving the letting of highly sought after commercial property in prime London locations and nationwide.
My approach is pragmatic and client-focused. Having acted for a diverse client base, I value the significance of each transaction and how the same aligns with my clients’ needs and objectives. Synonymously, I am committed to delivering a responsive, efficient, and commercially sound service and have garnered relationships with fellow industry professionals.
Outside of work, I am proud father. I have a passion for sports and enjoy football, but bear the heavy burden of being a Manchester United supporter. I have a keen interest for cars and would consider myself an enthusiast. I enjoy travelling and have visited numerous countries experiencing the wonderful cultures, cuisines and people.
Experience highlights
- Acted on behalf of a lender client in relation to the refinancing of a portfolio of properties consisting of mixed use and residential properties for a facility of £6.8m. The security comprised 6 commercial units to the ground floor and 10 residential flats to the upper floors. The second building consisted of 20 residential flats.
- Acted on behalf of a lender client on a transaction that involved the splitting and acquisition of a site consisting of a block of 23 flats and 6 townhouses. The facility was for a net amount of £3.7m.
- Acted on a refinance matter for a lender client which consisted of a portfolio of 13 residential flats all on long leases and some with car parking leases. The facility was for the sum of £4.7m.
- I acted on the acquisition, financing and subsequent sale of a small development. The client acquired two plots, one with an existing property situated on it and the other consisting of land. The plot containing the existing property was acquired first and subsequently refinanced. The value of the facility was for the sum of £2.7m and the funds were then utilized to acquire the plot comprising the land. The plots were both redeveloped to form 2 high-end residential properties. The titles were subsequently amalgamated and then split again respective to the extent of the properties. The newly built properties were then sold for £5m respectively.
- Acted on behalf of a landlord in relation to the asset management of their freehold property in Dover street, Mayfair. We assisted the client with the lettings of their office units to the upper floors and the letting of the Sub-station to the rear. I also assisted with the means of escape issue with the adjoining owner of the property.
Posted on: February 10th, 2025 by Hugh Dineen-Lees
I joined Lawrence Stephens as a solicitor in the Commercial Real Estate department in February 2025. I previously worked with Memery Crystal as a solicitor and a paralegal in their Commercial Real Estate team. I completed my training at a well-regarded regional firm where I completed seats in private client, corporate and commercial, and real estate.
Throughout my time working in the real estate sector, I have gained high quality experience in all aspects of real estate with a focus on landlord and tenant matters and commercial property acquisitions and disposals.
I enjoy getting to know my clients’ business on an in-depth level to ensure that I always come out with the best result for them.
Outside of my work, I enjoy travelling as much as I can as well as being a keen football fan.
Experience highlights
- Advising multiple large garden centre operators on all aspects of their commercial property portfolio management including the roll out of electric vehicle charging points.
- Acted for an international fast food business on their new franchise locations.
- Advised on the real estate aspects of the sale of a leading economic think tank based in London.
- Acted on the real estate elements of an £18 million refinancing of a student accommodation in London.
- Advised a well known beauty retailer on the re gear and renewals of their property leases following an administration process.
Posted on: January 31st, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I am a Partner in the Commercial Real Estate team, having joined Lawrence Stephens from Memery Crystal in 2025.
I act for a wide variety of clients ranging from retail landlords and tenants, to institutional lenders and property developers. I have a particular experience in industrial properties acting for both buyers and sellers. I pride myself on my ability to understand a client’s motivations and priorities within a transaction.
Outside work, I am a a sports fan and play football, tennis and cricket. I also enjoy cooking and travelling (sometimes at the same time).
Experience
- Assisted on the purchase of a property in Liverpool for £68million.
- Led the refinancing of 9 properties in Central London with a loan amount of £15million.
- Part of a small team that acted on the purchase of a commercial site in Oxford for £13million.
- Acted on the sale of a Science Retail Park for £45million.
- Led on the purchase of numerous industrial properties ranging from £500,000 – £8million
- Acted on behalf of a well-known money exchange company on numerous leases throughout central London with rents ranging from £75,000 per annum to £1.2million per annum.
Posted on: January 31st, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I am a Partner in the Commercial Real Estate team, specialising in general commercial real estate with a mixture of investment, development, finance, occupier, and management work.
I also have considerable experience dealing with distressed real estate on behalf of banks and insolvency practitioners.
Experience
- Acting on the acquisition of a portfolio of 15 mixed tenure petrol filling stations for a roadside retail operator.
- Acting on the acquisition and development of numerous new to industry petrol filling station sites for a roadside retail operator.
- Acting for various impact investors on multi-million pound rolling programmes of portfolio acquisitions of residential multi-let properties to be leased to charities who specialise in rehousing ex-offender, ex-military personnel, the homeless and other vulnerable groups to be sub-sold and held by a fund to ensure the continued and long term use of the properties for social housing purposes.
- Acting on the pre-let and forward sale of a Travelodge hotel.
- Acting on the pre-let, development and subsequent investment sales of numerous retail, industrial and office sites.
- Acting for a manufacturer on its land acquisition and subsequent development and financing of a bespoke distribution warehouse facility.
- Acting for liquidators on the disposal of a portfolio of over 140 freehold and leasehold pubs.
- Acting for administrators on the disposal of 5 mixed tenure business parks and associated management company structure.
- Acting for a hedge fund relocating to newly built office accommodation in the city and exiting them from their existing lease arrangements.
- Acting on numerous institutional office lettings for a leading developer and investor.
Posted on: October 2nd, 2024 by Hugh Dineen-Lees
I joined Lawrence Stephens in September 2024 as a trainee solicitor after completing a law conversion course at City, University of London with First Class Honours.
I grew up in Toronto, Canada and in 2017 obtained a Bachelor of Commerce, specialising in strategic management with a minor in economics at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.
Prior to changing careers to work in law, I was Chief Operating Officer of a biotechnology startup that developed AI systems to treat and manage diabetes.
Before joining Lawrence Stephens, I worked as a pro bono paralegal for a West London charity where I conducted several successful benefits appeals with clients living with serious physical and mental disability.
In my spare time I enjoy running, cycling and rock climbing.
Posted on: February 10th, 2023 by Natasha Cox
I qualified in 1998 and joined Lawrence Stephens in 2006, having previously worked in the property department of a leading City firm. I was made a Partner in 2008 and am now Head of Commercial Real Estate.
I deal with all aspects of commercial property investment, acquisitions and disposals, development, landlord and tenant work and property management.
I also work closely with the firm’s Corporate department on the property aspects of transactions.
The only BAFTA nominated partner within the firm, I took the scenic route to law. Following a stint in the army and a degree in Film & Television at Tel Aviv University, I moved to the UK and worked in the film industry before qualifying as a solicitor.
I have three daughters and a son and enjoy tennis, football, music, art and motorbikes despite recently hanging up my helmet.
Experience highlights
- Acting for a developer on the acquisition of commercial premises, redevelopment to 25 residential flats and sale of leases
- Acting for a retailer in the acquisition and disposal of retail properties comprising a current portfolio of over 40 shops
- Acting for several pub groups, clubs and restaurateurs on the acquisitions and sales of high value prime location properties
- Acting for a property investment fund on refinance of mixed-use portfolio in the value of £25m
- Acting for freeholders of a block of flats in St Johns Wood in relation to the grant of a lease of airspace to a developer and construction agreement for the construction of two penthouse apartments on the roof of the building
Posted on: February 10th, 2023 by Natasha Cox
I joined Lawrence Stephens in January 2023 as a paralegal within the Private Wealth and Succession Planning Team, before starting my training contract in September that year. I completed seats within the Dispute Resolution, Commercial Real Estate, Employment and Sports & Entertainment teams, before qualifying into the Real Estate Disputes team within the Dispute Resolution department in September 2025.
I work on a range of contentious commercial and property matters including possession claims, breaches of contract and covenants, construction and development disputes, forfeiture matters, insolvency and much more.
Outside of the office, I’m often found out for a run, exploring new places (be that in London or further afield) and trying new restaurants with family and friends.
