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Elizabeth Morrison

Posted on: June 2nd, 2026 by Ella Darnell

I am an Associate in the Real Estate Finance team, advising lenders on a broad range of secured lending, development finance, bridging and refinance transactions.

I trained and qualified at Brecher LLP, where I developed strong lender-side experience acting for banks, private lenders and debt funds on transactions secured against residential, mixed-use, commercial and operational real estate assets. My experience includes investment and development facilities, portfolio refinancings, development exit facilities, student accommodation assets and transactions involving more complex security and corporate structures.

I regularly advise on finance and security documentation, including facility agreements, legal charges, debentures, guarantees, priority and subordination arrangements and ancillary transaction documents. I also have experience reviewing title, planning, valuation and monitoring surveyor requirements, preparing lender reporting and advising on transaction structure, security arrangements, conditions precedent and legal and commercial risk.

I take a practical and commercially focused approach, working closely with clients, borrower-side solicitors, valuers, monitoring surveyors and other transaction parties to progress matters efficiently from instruction through to completion.

Outside work, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, travelling whenever I can and trying new restaurants. I can also usually be found planning my next dinner booking, weekend trip or unnecessary purchase.

Experience highlights

  • Advised on the refinance of a completed residential development scheme, supporting the lender on title, planning, building control and warranty due diligence, lender reporting and completion of the finance and security package.
  • Supported a development finance facility for a residential conversion scheme, with a particular focus on staged drawdown mechanics, conditions precedent, monitoring surveyor requirements and the security structure.
  • Worked on the refinance of an operational PBSA/student accommodation asset, involving multiple freehold titles, rental income arrangements, operator documentation and a layered security package.
  • Assisted with a series of linked refinance facilities secured across a multi-property portfolio, involving coordinated title due diligence, tenancy and drawdown requirements, subordination arrangements and cross-jurisdictional corporate structure considerations.

Joel Wish

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

Laura Brown

Posted on: May 30th, 2025 by Natasha Cox

I have extensive experience advising lenders and borrowers on all aspects of real estate finance. My practice includes domestic and cross-border transactions, spanning senior, mezzanine and whole loans.

My investment expertise encompasses all asset classes, from office spaces, retail units, mixed use and leisure facilities, industrial and business parks, hotels and PBSA, including landmark buildings and large portfolios. 

I excel in managing a wide range of development finance transactions, from large scale ‘ground up’ developments to small refurbishment projects. I also advise on planning assistance and development exit loans. 

My client base includes financial institutions, senior lenders, mezzanine lenders, and bridging financiers.

I have a deep understanding of the industry and I am focused on delivering high quality pragmatic advice on transactions, irrespective of size or complexity.

Sam Silverman

Posted on: March 3rd, 2025 by Natasha Cox

I am a Partner in the Commercial Real Estate team, having joined Lawrence Stephens from Memery Crystal in January 2025. Prior to joining Memery Crystal, I spent 10 years at BCLP.

I have gained extensive commercial property experience across a wide range of areas including development, pre-lettings, acquisitions and disposals, international project management, joint ventures and landlord and tenant matters.

Throughout my career, I have acted for major international and domestic clients including developers, funds, corporate occupiers and supermarkets within the office, industrial and retail sectors.

Experience

  • Acted for an international luxury hotel brand on the acquisition of its first UK hotel in Mayfair.
  • Advised a multinational brewery, distillery and bar chain on a variety of Property transactions across its UK portfolio of bars.
  • Acted for a major supermarket chain on the acquisition, disposal and management of shopping centres and supermarkets.
  • Advised one of the UK’s largest housebuilders on various mixed-use developments.

John Aynsley

Posted on: January 31st, 2025 by Natasha Cox

I am a Partner in the Commercial Real Estate team, where I specialise in the acquisition, disposal, development, regeneration, financing, and management of high-value assets in commercial real estate, John acts for clients ranging from international real estate funds and listed house builders to private investors.

I joined Lawrence Stephens in 2025, having spent four years at Memery Crystal and seven years at sister brand Rosenblatt.

Experience

  • Acting for a listed house builder on numerous strategic land acquisitions and serviced land parcel sales.
  • Acting for a UK real estate investment group with a motor-trade focus on the disposal of a portfolio of 16 car dealerships.
  • Acting for a private overseas investor on the acquisition of a Mayfair property for a luxury mixed-use development.
  • Advising a Fortune 500 payment technology company on the letting and fit-out of their UK headquarters.
  • Acting on the pre-let, development and subsequent investment sales of numerous retail, industrial and office sites.
  • Advising a corporate finance advisory on the office acquisition and fit-out of an office floor in the Shard.
  • Acting on the acquisition of a portfolio of 40 mixed tenure petrol filling stations 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 personal, 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.

Matthew Hind

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.