Posted on: March 3rd, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I am a director 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.
Posted on: February 20th, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I have accumulated seven years of experience in the legal profession, starting with barrister clerking and currently working as a paralegal. Over the past four years, I have been actively involved in real estate finance transactions, contributing to high-value deals and collaborating with lawyers from a wide range of jurisdictions as needed. Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside distinguished professionals, including my current supervisor, Steve Clinning, and Laura Brown, whose guidance have been instrumental in my professional development.
I am currently working towards qualifying as a solicitor, with the goal of enhancing my ability to provide more effective assistance to clients and ensuring I can offer the highest level of professional support. Outside of work, I enjoy various hobbies, including traveling and watching football.
Experience
- Acted for the lender on an acquisition and development loan for a large residential site in west London with a total loan amount of £5million
- Acted for the lender on a refinancing and refurbishment loan for a boutique London property with a gross development value of £8.2 million
Posted on: January 31st, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I am a Director 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.
Posted on: January 31st, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I am a Director in the Commercial Real Estate team, having joined Lawrence Stephens from Memery Crystal in January 2025.
I have extensive experience in a range of commercial real estate matters including acquisitions and disposals and landlord and tenant matters, as well as advising on development projects and property finance transactions. I also have many years of experience assisting residential real estate clients, specialising in the London prime central market.
Experience
- Acted on the purchase of a mixed use, occupied (serviced offices and hostel) building in Kensington.
- Acted for a buyer on the purchase of a Grade II Listed building in Belgravia, a development site to be converted into luxury apartments.
- Acted for a tenant being granted a 10-year lease of three-level office space in a prestigious, newly renovated Mayfair building.
- Assisted a corporate client on the sale of a care home site in Walthamstow.
- Acted for a corporate client, advising on property matters, in respect of a castle purchase in Shropshire.
- Advises the owners of a London based organic produce store with multiple sites across London.
Posted on: January 31st, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I am a Director 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: November 18th, 2024 by Hugh Dineen-Lees
I am a solicitor in the Real Estate Finance Department at Lawrence Stephens having joined in 2024.
I have over have seven years’ experience in real estate finance, acting for large lenders providing regulated buy-to-let loans, bridging loans and development loans secured over both residential and commercial security. I also act on deals secured with a portfolio of property. I have experience in acting on a dual representation basis for both the bank and borrower.
As my knowledge has been developed acting for one client with a large number of deals, I understand the importance of maintaining client trust and satisfaction. I pride myself on excellent communication and quality of work delivered with a personal and down to earth approach.
In my spare time, I enjoy trying to reach my Goodreads target, long walks stroking as many dogs as possible, eating good food and drinking great wine.
Career highlights
- £4million bridging loan over 14 new residential dwellings;
- £7million buy-to-let loan over a parade of high street shops; and
- £3million loan over two nursing homes.
