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
Posted on: November 3rd, 2025 by Ella Darnell
I joined Lawrence Stephens in November 2025 as an Associate in the Dispute Resolution team.
I am a 3-year qualified associate with broad experience advising clients on disputes across a range of industries, including telecommunications, engineering, and software development. I have acted on claims ranging from consumer small claims to high court disputes. I have also worked in tandem with employment and IP teams to provide specialist litigation advice.
Experience highlights
- Acted on a £10 million High Court engineering claim for an international engineering client
- Acted on a consumer claims portfolio for a major telecoms client
- Acted on a cross-jurisdiction fraud claim for a UHNW private client
- Acted on a IP dispute in the TCC for a software engineering client
Posted on: September 24th, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I am a CILEx qualified lawyer practicing in all areas of leasehold enfranchisement and residential landlord and tenant matters. My specialities are statutory lease extensions and collective enfranchisement claims acting on behalf of both landlord and tenant. In addition, I also frequently handle right of first refusal cases in addition to licences to alter, deeds of variation, deeds of covenant and deeds of surrender and re-grant to merge multiple leases.
My clients have ranged from large corporate ground rent investors to tenant-owned landlords in prime central landlord to individuals and everything in between. This broad range gives me the ability to advise all my clients on a commercial and sensible basis.
I have had the honour of being a finalist at the 2022 Enfranchisement & Right to Manage Awards in the category of Young Lawyer of the Year and in the 2023 awards for Rising Star.
Experience
- Assisting on a £11m sale of a mixed-use building near Picadilly Circus including researching qualification under the 1987 Act and the preparation and service of s5 right of first refusal notices.
- Assisting 32 leaseholders in their right to manage claim of a residential building in PCL.
- Leading on the legal asset management work for large blocks of residential apartments near the Tate Modern.
Posted on: May 15th, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I joined Lawrence Stephens as an Associate from an international law firm in 2025.
I specialise in real estate finance which involves both residential and commercial properties. I act for lenders on a regular basis, including sole and dual representation. I also have extensive experience in high-value property transactions including new builds, freehold and leasehold properties.
My clientele ranges from lenders, first-time buyers, company buyers, property developers to overseas clients.
Experience highlights
- Acted for multinational banks from the Middle East on a regular basis
- Refinancing of a substantial property portfolio involving a £9 million loan and 37 properties.
- Acted for lenders on loans and redemptions in relation to borrowers which are offshore companies registered in the BVI and Bermuda.
- Acted for a HNW overseas client on the purchase of a residential property worth over £8 million.
- Refinancing of a property in central London worth around £5 million.
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 an Associate in the Real Estate Finance Department having joined Lawrence Stephens in February 2025. Since qualifying as a solicitor in 2021, I have gained experience in acting for leading banks and lenders in relation to commercial and residential property development and investment, refinances and property portfolio financing arrangements.
I pride myself in providing clear and concise legal advice to clients to navigate their transactions effectively whilst providing commercially focused solutions when required.
Experience
- Acting for a lender on a £9.5million loan secured over a property acquisition on Bishops Avenue, Hampstead
- Acting for a lender on a £8million loan secured over a hotel
- Acting on the acquisition, planning, development and forward sale of a mix-used development with a gross development value (GDV) of £16.5million.
- Acting for lender on numerous acquisitions, refinancing and development financing transactions over commercial property, land, residential portfolios, and hotels in high value prime locations.
Posted on: February 17th, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I am an Associate in the Commercial Real Estate team, having joined Lawrence Stephens from Memery Crystal in February 2025.
I act for a range of clients including developers, property companies, corporate occupiers and individuals.
I have worked on a variety of commercial real estate transactions including landlord and tenant matters (acting for both landlords and tenants), acquisitions and disposals, development projects and corporate real estate.
My experience includes acting for landlords and tenants on lease negotiations, acting on acquisitions and lettings of petrol filling stations for a roadside retail operator and acting on lettings of retail and office sites for a listed house builder.
Experience
- Acting for a listed house builder in negotiating agreements for lease, leases, rent deposit deeds and licences for alterations for various commercial units on its mixed-use development sites.
- Acting for a listed house builder on the investment sale of commercial units at its mixed-use development site for £1.1million.
- Acting for a roadside retail operator on the acquisition of freehold and leasehold properties for circa £19.5million.
- Acting for a roadside retail operator with an intra-group company transfer of freehold and leasehold properties to three group companies for circa £32.6million.
- Acting for a construction contractor specialising in cladding refurbishment in negotiating licenses to occupy in relation to office facilities and storage compounds for its cladding remediation work.
Posted on: January 31st, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I am an Associate within the Dispute Resolution department. I specialise in insolvency, commercial litigation, director and shareholder disputes, debt claims and fraud.
I have a strong track record of achieving favourable outcomes for my clients in a cost-effective manner, with many clients either returning or their professional advisers (whom I work alongside) recommending me to their clients.
Clients want to understand where they stand early on including the risks, rewards and costs; I tailor a strategy to achieve their desired outcome whilst also advising on commercial considerations they may have overlooked.
Prior to joining Lawrence Stephens I worked at a City boutique where I was involved in numerous matters which created case authority, and in HMRC’s Strategic Litigation department where I was involved in the £1bn Ingenious litigation.
Outside of the office I enjoy spending my time with my growing family, watching Arsenal, going to the gym and trying new restaurants.
Experience highlights
- Obtaining an order to annul a client’s bankruptcy and prevent the sale of his £5.5million home.
- Successfully rescinding a winding-up order made against a company, preventing the realisation of its assets and the appointment of a receiver by a lender.
- Defending different categories of directors (de jure and de facto) against a liquidator’s claim for breach of duties, misfeasance, and dishonest assistance which created case law and was set for a cross-appeal before reaching a favourable settlement.
- Pursuing bankruptcy against a solicitor under the Insolvent Partnerships Order 1994 and making a full recovery of £150,000 plus legal costs.
- Ensuring that the construction of a significant development in Europe was not interrupted following a dispute over the validity of a payment on demand clause in a funding loan agreement (worth over £100million).
- Obtaining a freezing order on behalf of liquidators against various entities in a £14million art fraud.
- Preventing an UHNW client’s rare car collection worth over £20million being sold at auction by receivers following a default on a loan repayment.
- Concluding the Insolvency Service’s investigations into a director’s alleged misconduct without any disqualification period being sought.
- Obtaining a money judgment on behalf of a law firm and successfully defending a counterclaim for professional negligence following a five-day trial.
- Acting for a defendant and obtaining a security for costs order against the claimant, striking out their claim, obtaining charging orders over the claimant’s properties, and applying for the claimant’s property be sold at auction so that the proceeds could be paid to the defendant.
Posted on: August 15th, 2024 by Hugh Dineen-Lees
I joined Lawrence Stephens as an Associate in 2024. Experienced in high-value property transactions including new builds, freehold and leasehold purchases, sales, and refinancing transactions.
My primary client base focuses on HNW private clients as well as overseas investors from Asia.
My background of growing up in Hong Kong and multilingual skills effectively support a diverse client base and ensure that clients receive tailored, smooth, and satisfactory conveyance transaction experience.
Experience highlights
Acting on several prime London property purchases and sales, including:
- £12m purchase at the Chelsea Barracks
- £2.5m purchase in Kensington
- £2m sale at Battersea Power Station
- £4.2m historical freehold residential purchase
- Purchase portfolio of 12 new build properties with a total value over £15m.
Posted on: June 25th, 2024 by Yvonne Uzoka
I joined the Lawrence Stephens’ Banking team in July 2024. Prior to this, I worked at a Magic Circle firm specialising in real estate finance.
I have a breadth of experience acting for large commercial banks, investment funds, property management companies and borrowers on multi-jurisdictional and UK-focused deals involving commercial real estate, including office space, BTR, hotels, retail, warehouse and logistics. I also have extensive experience working on international transactions, including various offshore jurisdictions and the many intricacies associated with these deals.
My primary focus is on secured lending transactions, including investment and development finance matters, from deal originations to refinancing and loan/property management assistance.
Outside of the office, I love to travel, exploring different cultures and trying different cuisines, but when in London I enjoy spin classes and reading.
Posted on: March 25th, 2024 by Yvonne Uzoka
I joined Lawrence Stephens as a solicitor in the Private Wealth Disputes team in March 2024.
I originally studied English Literature and Philosophy at the University of East Anglia (UEA), graduating in 2019. I converted to law by completing the Graduate Diploma in Law at UEA and subsequently the LPC at the University of Law. I also spent a year abroad at the University of Groningen studying International and European Law.
My areas of focus within litigation are:
- Claims for dependency under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975;
- Challenges to the validity of wills;
- Mental capacity challenges;
- Actions brought and defended in respect of trusts;
- Estoppel claims; failed promises, breaches of agreements, constructive and resulting trust claims; and
- Professional negligence.
Generally, I will represent beneficiaries of estates and trusts, those excluded from inheritance unfairly, trustees, executors, attorneys and deputies.
As part of the wider contentious trusts and Probate team, we not only work within the UK, but also deal with international matters with a connection to the UK – for example, in relation to the assets claimed, the person we are representing and the location of the trust or estate.
Outside of work, I enjoy playing five-a-side football, surfing and tennis. I also watch AFC Bournemouth.