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Lawrence Stephens welcomes Director, Laura Brown as a key addition to Real Estate Finance team

Posted on: June 3rd, 2025 by zhewison

Laura brings over 11 years of experience as a finance lawyer, specialising in real estate finance. She advises lenders on a broad range of transactions, including senior and mezzanine financing for commercial and residential property development, investment acquisitions, refinancing, and portfolio financing.

Her deep sector knowledge, commercial insight, and strong client relationships significantly enhance our finance capabilities and expand our reach in the market.

Laura Brown said: “I am thrilled to join Lawrence Stephens at an exciting time in the firm’s growth. It is an honour to work alongside such a talented team, including my long-standing colleague and friend, Steve Clinning. I am passionate about the delivery of excellence and exceptional client service, and I am eager to build upon the firm’s legacy.”

Ann Ebberson, Director and Head of Real Estate Finance as Lawrence Stephens said: “I’m delighted to welcome Laura to Lawrence Stephens and our Real Estate Finance team. She brings a wealth of industry expertise and a portfolio of exceptional clients, significantly strengthening our real estate finance capabilities and commercial reach. These are exciting times for the firm, and Laura’s arrival marks another step forward in our continued growth.”

Lawrence Stephens strengthens Banking and Real Estate Finance teams with the appointment of Steve Clinning and team from Memery Crystal

Posted on: February 18th, 2025 by Hugh Dineen-Lees

Lawrence Stephens is delighted to announce the appointment of Steve Clinning as a Director in the Banking department.

Steve joins from Memery Crystal where he was a Partner in the Banking and Real Estate Finance team.

He advises both borrowers and lenders on a range of transactions including general property finance, corporate acquisition work, hotel finance, trading business finance, development finance and asset finance, and has established long-term partnerships with several high-volume lending clients.

Associates Alex Duncliffe-Vines, Asal Saferabadi and Paralegal Montgomery Chapman will join the Real Estate Finance team, and Paralegal Timothy Shannon will join Steve in the Banking team.

Head of Real Estate Finance Greg Palos, commented: “I have known and admired Steve’s work for many years and we are delighted to welcome him and the team to our firm. Their arrival brings the number of Directors in the Banking and Real Estate Finance teams to 11 and a total complement of 42, making it an even more significant player in the Real Estate Finance and Banking ecosystem. Their practice perfectly complements our own and we all look forward to working with them on their arrival.”

Swift completion of £5.9million loan secured over prime residential blocks

Posted on: January 20th, 2025 by Hugh Dineen-Lees

In a recent financial transaction, a £5.9 million loan was secured over three multi-unit residential blocks located in London and Hemel Hempstead. This deal involved multiple linked refinancing transactions of the commercial elements, showcasing the complexity and efficiency of the process.

Anna Christou represented YBS Commercial Mortgages, while Paul Marsh acted for the Borrower. The transaction was completed within an impressive nine working days from the issuance of the Offer, highlighting the dedication and expertise of the teams involved.

A special mention goes to Katie Peck and Amy Bristow, at YBS Commercial Mortgages, whose pivotal role ensured the smooth and timely completion of this significant transaction.

This achievement underscores the importance of collaboration and precision in high-stakes financial dealings, setting a benchmark for future transactions.

Lawrence Stephens advises Blue Shield Capital on their largest deal to date

Posted on: December 24th, 2024 by Hugh Dineen-Lees

Lawrence Stephens has advised Blue Shield Capital on an £18 million loan for a UK-based landlord and build-to-rent operator focused on city-centre rental properties. The loan was for their flagship property, a 119-unit BTR scheme in Liverpool City Centre, completed in 2023.

The 12-month facility, set at 69% LTV, is designed to assist the borrower in refinancing their existing debt and optimising their portfolio structure. This deal is the largest they have completed to date and is the latest in a number of fast-moving deals they have undertaken supported by our team.

Blue Shield Capital is a fast-growing property lending firm who provides flexible financing solutions for property owners and investors.

The team was led by Director and Head of Banking Ajoy Bose-Mallick, with support from Directors Ann Ebberson and Alex Edwards.

Ajoy commented: “We are delighted to have supported Blue Shield on their largest deals to date. We are pleased to have played our part in enabling Blue Shield to exceed its targets for 2024”.

Lawrence Stephens advises LHV Bank on £7.4m refinancing of prominent retail parade

Posted on: December 4th, 2024 by Natasha Cox

The Lawrence Stephens Real Estate Finance team is pleased to have advised regular client LHV Bank on the £7.4m refinancing of a parade of shops located in a prominent Essex town, secured across multiple titles with more than 20 tenants and leases. The facility also refinanced a bridging loan, ensuring the client’s financial goals were met within a tight timeframe.

The team worked closely with LHV Bank to review multiple cash flow scenarios across more than 20 leases while ensuring clarity on security positions across multiple titles. Collaboration across internal departments including credit, operations, and finance was vital to work to the tight deadline. Our team ensured that the entire process was completed ahead of schedule. Originally targeted for completion on 29 November, the deal was finalised two days early thanks to seamless collaboration between our team and the bank.

Conor McDermott, Director of SME Lending at LHV, commented: “The team worked tirelessly with Fine Mortgages to complete this on challenging timescales, with the transaction completed within eight working days of approval. Special thanks to the legal team at Lawrence Stephens led by Anna Christou, who worked on this over the weekend to ensure a successful refinance.”

Greg Palos, Head of Real Estate Finance at Lawrence Stephens responded: “Despite the complexity and speed of this transaction, our sector expertise and the strength and depth of our team contributed to an excellent outcome for our client.”

Lawrence Stephens appointed to LendInvest Bridging panel

Posted on: October 14th, 2024 by Hugh Dineen-Lees

We are delighted to share that Lawrence Stephens has been appointed to LendInvest’s Bridging panel.

Launched in 2008, LendInvest has grown to be a leading platform for property finance, offering short-term, development and buy-to-let mortgages to intermediaries, landlords and developers across the UK. Since then, they have lent more than £3 billion of mortgages and have helped to put thousands of new or improved homes into the UK housing market.

Leanne Ardron, Director of Bridging Finance at LendInvest said: “Lawrence Stephens will play an important role in supporting our growth objectives. With a commitment to excellence and responsiveness, there is good alignment with LendInvest’s ambition to ‘getting things done’”.

Arnold Enefé, Bridging Operations Change Manager at LendInvest added: “As our business continues to grow, it’s important for us to extend the range of advisers with the skillset and experience of bridging specialists such as Lawrence Stephens”Director and Head of Real Estate Finance, Gregory Palos, commented: “Ambitious organisations like LendInvest are core to our focus on Financial Institutions. We have enjoyed working with them since being appointed to their Development Panel in 2019 and we are delighted to formally extend what is already a very good relationship”.

Lawrence Stephens looks forward to this further collaboration with LendInvest in helping their clients achieve their objectives.

Lawrence Stephens’ teams ranked by Legal 500 UK 2025

Posted on: October 2nd, 2024 by Hugh Dineen-Lees

Lawrence Stephens is proud to have been recognised in the 2025 edition of the Legal 500 UK directory. Our Real Estate Finance and Banking teams have been ranked as Tier 7 in the Property Finance category, and our Sports and Entertainment team has achieved a Tier 5 ranking in the Sport category within the TMT (Technology, Media and Telecoms) section.

We were also delighted to learn that Angélique Richardson, an Associate in our Sports and Entertainment team, has been recognised as a ‘Leading Associate’ for her exceptional contribution and commitment to providing top-tier legal and career management advice to elite athletes.

The Legal 500 UK edition provides a comprehensive overview of the top law firms in the United Kingdom. It includes detailed qualitative reviews from many law firms, barristers’ chambers, and individual lawyers. The rankings are based on feedback from law firm clients which helps firms benchmark their expertise and performance in various areas.

Managing Director Steven Bernstein said: “It is fantastic to see the firm recognised in this way. While it is no surprise, we are delighted to see the firm listed amongst the best in the country and shows just how far we have come. We look forward to building on these foundations and seeing more of our people and teams achieving this distinction.”

Lawrence Stephens Appointed to YBS Commercial Mortgages’ Panel of Solicitors

Posted on: September 5th, 2024 by Hugh Dineen-Lees

We are delighted to announce that Lawrence Stephens has been appointed to YBS Commercial Mortgages’ legal panel.

Gregory Palos, Head of Real Estate Finance at Lawrence Stephens, commented:

“We’re excited to be able to contribute our expertise to YBS Commercial Mortgages and its customers by providing proactive and insightful legal support.”

Ismael Garzon, Commercial Lending Completions Manager at YBS Commercial Mortgages commented:

“Adding Lawrence Stephens’ wealth of experience and proven track record to our legal panel, demonstrates our commitment to delivering a top-tier service to all our partners.”

Our Promise

Lawrence Stephens is committed to delivering excellence and fostering strong client relationships. Our inclusion in YBS’ panel reflects our dedication to these principles.

Lawrence Stephens strengthens Real Estate Finance and Banking teams with new Directors from Rosling King

Posted on: July 1st, 2024 by Yvonne Uzoka

Leading corporate and commercial law firm, Lawrence Stephens, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ann Ebberson as Director in the Real Estate Finance department, and Alex Edwards as Director in the Banking department – both joining from Rosling King.

Ann and Alex are well-known industry practitioners and their expertise complements the firm’s established Real Estate Finance and Banking practices. They are both recognised in The Legal 500 directory and bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience across these sectors. 

Ann has acted for and advised lenders, loan servicers, developers and LPA/fixed charge receivers on real estate and real estate portfolio refinancing, sales, purchases, development acquisitions and sales, landlord and tenant matters including service charge disputes and forfeiture proceedings. She also has notable experience in title rectification issues and advising litigation colleagues in complex real estate disputes.  

Alex advises lenders, sponsors, developers and corporate borrowers on all forms of finance transactions. With a particular focus on real estate and development finance, Alex also regularly advises on senior and mezzanine loans and bridging finance, as well as restructuring and resolving existing loan facilities. In addition, Alex’s construction law expertise allows him to provide a comprehensive service to his clients on development finance transactions, dealing with both the finance and construction elements.

They join Directors Greg Palos and Ajoy Bose-Mallick who lead Lawrence Stephens’ Real Estate Finance and Banking practices respectively.

Ajoy Bose-Mallick commented: “Alex is a fantastic addition to our banking team and brings with him great experience of working with sponsors, developers, corporate borrowers and other alternative lenders especially development finance lenders, at a very exciting time for the firm.”

Greg Palos said: “Ann’s arrival provides us with greater strength in depth and bolsters our ability to advise clients in a wide range of transactions. Her arrival is in line with the expansion of our Real Estate Finance capability, which continues to go from strength to strength.”

News of Ann and Alex joining Lawrence Stephens was covered by Law360, New Law Journal and LegalMoves.

Lawrence Stephens appointed to Glenhawk’s Panel of Solicitors

Posted on: June 20th, 2024 by Yvonne Uzoka

We are delighted to share that Lawrence Stephens has been appointed as a panel firm by Glenhawk, the award-winning short-term real estate lender.

This strategic partnership comes in the wake of Glenhawk’s announcement earlier this year that it has secured substantial funding to bolster its lending capacity and enter the buy-to-let market. With a continuing drive to remain competitive and market-leading in the bridging finance space, Glenhawk are revamping its range of unregulated and regulated products while introducing new products in order to deliver an ongoing programme of growth.

Lawrence Stephens will play a crucial role in supporting Glenhawk’s growth objectives. With a commitment to excellence and delivering top-tier legal services, there is an alignment with Glenhawk’s ethos of quality and integrity within the industry.

Guy Harrington, CEO of Glenhawk, commented: “Lawrence Stephens’ reputation as a well-established high-quality law firm makes them a welcome addition to our panel solicitors. We’re delighted to be working with Greg and his team.” 

Director and Head of Real Estate Finance, Gregory Palos, added: “Our multi-disciplinary firm has a long track record of being a people business devoted to delivering a high-quality personal service to clients. We’re proud to be supporting Glenhawk in the next step of their lending journey.”

Lawrence Stephens looks forward to this collaboration with Glenhawk that promises to enhance the lending landscape and deliver exceptional service to clients across the board.

Lawrence Stephens completes third deal for Greymax Capital

Posted on: January 31st, 2024 by Maverick Freedlander

Congratulations to our client Greymax Capital on completing a £512k loan, in a deal which was completed on 19 January 2024.

Greymax Capital is a lender with a strong, tightly knit, team and experience on both sides of the transaction, and prides itself on its relationship-based approach to bridging. The swift and effective execution of this deal reflects Greymax’s agility and unwavering commitment to their clients.

Lawrence Stephens’ Real Estate Finance team assisted Greymax Capital on this deal, with the loan ready for completion within four working days of instruction. The Lawrence Stephens team was led by David Freedman, who handled the deal in a speedy and agile manner, while considering each of its aspects thoroughly.

The Greymax team was led by co-founders and Directors Michael Kingsley and Ben Sokel, with key contributions from Alan Margolis and Operations Director & General Counsel Katie Belchamber.

David Freedman commented: “We are so delighted to have assisted Michael and the team at Greymax with this loan. Greymax are true professionals and we are thrilled to have helped secure a swift and successful result, which pleased all parties involved.

“We look forward to strengthening this relationship and working with Michael and the team at Greymax on future deals.”

Michael Kingsley commented: “David and his team had to work towards a very tight deadline on our behalf, and they exceeded all expectations with quick work and excellent legal and commercial advice. Handling this loan with agility and professionalism, we look forward to working with Lawrence Stephens on future deals.”

Lawrence Stephens completes £20m refinance on behalf of its client

Posted on: April 11th, 2023 by AlexT

Our Real Estate Finance, Banking and Corporate teams acted for their client in connection with a £20 million refinance of over 30 properties, in a deal which was completed on 31 March 2023.

The deal included an offshore company purchase and transfer of 2 property portfolios to the client, with Blackfinch Group acting as the lender. The complex nature of this deal led the Real Estate Finance department to work alongside members of the Banking and Corporate teams to ensure the refinancing was completed swiftly and efficiently.

The team was led by Director Paul Marsh and Senior Director Gregory Palos, with assistance from Associate Anna Christou and Solicitor Isabella Tamyln in the Real Estate Finance team, with colleagues from the Banking and Corporate and Commercial teams providing additional support.

Paul Marsh commented: “With a deal of this size, cross-department co-operation was key, and it was a pleasure to work alongside members of the Banking and Corporate teams. We worked hard to ensure we achieved the best result for our client, and it was great to work with the team at Blackfinch to secure this loan.”

The client commented: “Paul, Greg and the rest of the team at Lawrence Stephens did a fantastic job on this deal, and their hard work translated to an ideal result. They coordinated well with other parties to the deal and provided world-class legal advice throughout the process.”