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Triple shortlisting for Claire Allan and the Lawrence Stephens’ Leasehold Enfranchisement team

Posted on: May 30th, 2024 by Natasha Cox

Now into its 15th year, the annual Enfranchisement and Rights to Manage Awards has evolved into a prominent event, recognising excellence in the leasehold enfranchisement and right to manage sector.  The eminent and independent judging panel has reviewed all the submissions made and they have now revealed the final shortlist.  This peer-reviewed judging process ensures independent quality in the decision-making. 

As well as the firm being shortlisted in the Solicitors Firm of the Year category, Director and Head of Leasehold Enfranchisement Claire Allan has been personally shortlisted in the Solicitor of the Year and Professional of the Year categories. This triple shortlisting acknowledges Claire and her team’s expertise in advising leaseholders and landlords in this complex field, navigating them through the statutory lease extension or collective enfranchisement process.

Claire’s arrival at the firm has brought together and given focus to work already being undertaken by others through formally establishing the firm’s Leasehold Enfranchisement department. Client feedback confirms the benefit of the enhanced perspective gained by the team through experience of and acting for freeholders, head landlords and tenants.

Claire is actively involved in the real estate market and an active participant in a number of initiatives, including raising awareness of issues identified in the proposed leasehold reform amendments. She mentors and guides less experienced members of the team and more widely through her involvement in industry organisations.

As a consequence of her energy and enthusiasm, the scale and complexity of cases undertaken by her team has increased markedly. Examples include acting for the landlords of a number of West London mansion blocks, head landlords where the freeholder is a significant landed estate, and acting for the tenants on a mid-sized complex collective claim in Covent Garden against a multinational PLC.

The winners will be announced at the awards dinner on 11 July at the Leonardo Royal Hotel, near St Paul’s in London.

Stephen Messias and Goli-Michelle Banan ranked in Spear’s Property Index 2024

Posted on: March 13th, 2024 by Maverick Freedlander

We are delighted to share that Director and Head of Residential Real Estate Goli-Michelle Banan and Director in our Commercial Real Estate team and Co-Founder of Lawrence Stephens Stephen Messias have been ranked in the Spear’s Property Advisers’ Index 2024 as Top Recommended Property Lawyers.

The Spear’s Property Advisers’ index recognises the best advisers to buy, sell, manage and invest in super-prime property in London, the UK and abroad. 

These rankings are decided on the basis of peer nominations, client feedback, interviews, data supplied by firms, and extensive research by Spear’s.

Click here to see the full rankings.

Lawrence Stephens acts for Gibson on new Gibson Garage opening

Posted on: February 23rd, 2024 by Maverick Freedlander

We are delighted to share that Lawrence Stephens assisted Gibson, the world-famous guitar manufacturer, in the opening of its new retail concept, Gibson Garage, the first outside of Nashville on Eastcastle Street, in the heart of London.

Director and Head of Commercial Real Estate, Danny Schwarz, handled the leasing aspects. Tom Pemberton, Director in the Construction and Development Finance department, facilitated the construction element.

Lawrence Stephens has acted for Gibson for over 15 years and oversaw the move of its showroom from Rathbone Street to Eastcastle Street, which has been in the making for over two years, with the official opening taking place on 24 February. We are very excited to continue to be part of the Gibson journey.

Click here to learn more about the Gibson Garage London.

Goli-Michelle Banan comments on boundary disputes in The Telegraph

Posted on: January 30th, 2024 by Maverick Freedlander

Following JK Rowling’s recent dispute with neighbours over hedge maintenance, Director and Head of Residential Real Estate Goli-Michelle Banan comments on resolving boundary issues.

Goli-Michelle’s comments were published in The Telegraph, 26 January 2024, and can be found here.

“We had one where the neighbour of a client built a fence that was much higher than the one before. They said it was for privacy reasons but our client argued that it was not just unsightly, it also blocked the light coming into their garden.

“It’s more common in cases where neighbours have a shared pathway, larger properties or blurred boundary lines.”