Posted on: February 10th, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I am a Senior Associate in the Real Estate Finance department.
I have extensive experience dealing with a broad spectrum of real estate matters, consisting of but not limited to secured lending of residential and commercial real estate having acted for several institutional, second tier and specialist lenders. I have also acted for investors, developers, high-net-worth individuals (HNWI), and SMEs assisting them in diversifying their property portfolios across the UK.
Furthermore, I have a strong background in landlord and tenant matters, particularly in the grant, renewal and assignment of leases, as well as dealing with underleases, surrenders and variations. I have acted on transactions involving the letting of highly sought after commercial property in prime London locations and nationwide.
My approach is pragmatic and client-focused. Having acted for a diverse client base, I value the significance of each transaction and how the same aligns with my clients’ needs and objectives. Synonymously, I am committed to delivering a responsive, efficient, and commercially sound service and have garnered relationships with fellow industry professionals.
Outside of work, I am proud father. I have a passion for sports and enjoy football, but bear the heavy burden of being a Manchester United supporter. I have a keen interest for cars and would consider myself an enthusiast. I enjoy travelling and have visited numerous countries experiencing the wonderful cultures, cuisines and people.
Experience highlights
- Acted on behalf of a lender client in relation to the refinancing of a portfolio of properties consisting of mixed use and residential properties for a facility of £6.8m. The security comprised 6 commercial units to the ground floor and 10 residential flats to the upper floors. The second building consisted of 20 residential flats.
- Acted on behalf of a lender client on a transaction that involved the splitting and acquisition of a site consisting of a block of 23 flats and 6 townhouses. The facility was for a net amount of £3.7m.
- Acted on a refinance matter for a lender client which consisted of a portfolio of 13 residential flats all on long leases and some with car parking leases. The facility was for the sum of £4.7m.
- I acted on the acquisition, financing and subsequent sale of a small development. The client acquired two plots, one with an existing property situated on it and the other consisting of land. The plot containing the existing property was acquired first and subsequently refinanced. The value of the facility was for the sum of £2.7m and the funds were then utilized to acquire the plot comprising the land. The plots were both redeveloped to form 2 high-end residential properties. The titles were subsequently amalgamated and then split again respective to the extent of the properties. The newly built properties were then sold for £5m respectively.
- Acted on behalf of a landlord in relation to the asset management of their freehold property in Dover street, Mayfair. We assisted the client with the lettings of their office units to the upper floors and the letting of the Sub-station to the rear. I also assisted with the means of escape issue with the adjoining owner of the property.
Posted on: December 6th, 2024 by Natasha Cox
I am a Senior Associate in the Real Estate Disputes Department having joined Lawrence Stephens in December 2024.
I join the firm with extensive experience acting for bridging and alternative lenders with a primary focus on secured and unsecured recoveries, which includes but is not limited to possession claims, receivership, insolvency and professional negligence.
I like to take a down to earth approach and develop strong relationships with clients, thereby ensuring that their needs and expectations are at the forefront of my mind when progressing any given matter.
Outside of work, I am a fitness enthusiast and enjoy going to the gym and running. Over recent years I have taken part in a number of runs. When I am not training I love all things food related and like eating out with friends and family.
Experience highlights
- Successfully obtaining a vesting order in favour of a lender
- Acting for a lender in the settlement of a professional negligence claim prior to the issue of proceedings
Posted on: December 6th, 2024 by Natasha Cox
I am a Senior Associate in the Real Estate Finance Department at Lawrence Stephens.
I have a wealth of experience in both commercial property and real estate finance and have acted for landlords and tenants, investors, developers and lenders on a variety of property related transactions.
My understanding of the London property market and my commitment to delivering tailored solutions for my clients have earned me a strong reputation in the legal sector.
I am recognised for my experience with complex and time sensitive transactions and my clients appreciate my practical and commercial based approach and trust in my ability to get the transaction completed swiftly and efficiently.
Experience highlights
- Acting for a borrower on a complex £7 million purchase of a commercial site with bridging finance.
- Acting for a borrower on the re-finance of a large portfolio of residential and mixed use properties with a value of £5 million.
- Acting for a borrower in connection with the purchase of a residential development site for £3 million with development finance
- Acting for a borrower in connection with the purchase of a residential development site with finance and the subsequent sale of each unit
Posted on: October 8th, 2024 by Hugh Dineen-Lees
I am a Senior Associate in the Commercial Real Estate Department, having joined Lawrence Stephens in 2021. I have extensive experience in a range of property transactions, and a particular interest in investment property, commercial landlord and tenant matters and corporate support work (particularly in connection with the purchase and sale of commercial entities).
I have acted for well-known retailers and restaurants in the acquisition of new premises and the negotiation of lease renewals, deeds of variation, assignments, licences and wayleave agreements. I also act for landlords in connection with portfolio management and the preparation and negotiation of sub-leases.
The best part of my role is building strong, supportive and lasting relationships with clients. I enjoy getting to know clients and their business strategies and my advice is always straightforward, commercial and tailored to the person or entity seeking it.
In my spare time, I can regularly be found at one the many gig and concert venues in London, as live music is my absolute kryptonite. I’m also a regular on the netball court and love a good runaround with my wonderful teammates.
Posted on: August 14th, 2024 by Hugh Dineen-Lees
I am a Senior Associate in the Commercial Real Estate team, having joined the firm in 2024.
I have extensive experience working on behalf of both landlord and tenants, acquisitions and disposals and property management. I also have experience working with hospitality clients in relation to the acquisition or disposal of hotels, restaurants and pubs and work closely alongside other departments to provide a comprehensive service.
I enjoy building relationships with clients and getting to know their focus to ensure a collaborative and commercial approach to transactions.
Outside of work I enjoy anything fitness related and ran the Paris half marathon in March 2024. I also enjoy travelling and have been fortunate to experience living in Singapore and Dubai.
Experience highlights:
- Acting on behalf of a technology tenant to agree a lease of at a high-profile Central London building with a rent exceeding £1.5m per annum.
- Acting on behalf of a hospitality client to acquire and subsequently refinance target properties across the UK for an initial portfolio value of circa £15m.
- Acting for a landlord in respect of a lease of a serviced office block to an internet giant.
Posted on: July 1st, 2024 by Hugh Dineen-Lees
Prior to joining Lawrence Stephens I developed finance experience and commercial acumen across a variety of deals in the West-End and Top 200 Law Firms and spent time in house at a property development group. I bring a pragmatic and versatile approach to clients and take a long-term view of relationships.
I have a strong technical focus and have regularly acted for both upcoming and established lenders on product launches, standard template documentation and ‘special situations’. I am experienced in a range of transactions with particular familiarity with loan-on-loan arrangements, peer-to-peer structures, syndicated loans and mezzanine financing. I am happy to deal with non-standard situations where robust advice and urgent action is required to reach the best result.
The real-estate transactions I have worked on include lending to major hotel groups, ‘ground up’ and airspace development, purpose built student accommodation, service stations and care homes. Broader clients include IVF clinics, independent car manufacturers, music studios and car wholesale groups.
I value a commercial and outcome focused attitude to transactions, taking into account the broader needs of parties and adopting a collaborative approach where possible. My experience in house assists in understanding and anticipating what my clients need and ensuring that advice is clear, timely and jargon-free.
Outside of work I enjoy golf, live music, history and good food.
Experience highlights
- Acting for a major alternative lender on a £65m refinance of student accommodation.
- Acting for a challenger bank on a £15m loan-on-loan arrangement for a hotel development.
- Advising an established bank on their participation in a £700m master platform agreement for care home funding and loan purchase arrangements.
- Acting for a borrower on a £50m revolving credit facility with a high-street bank.
- Advising a corporate lender on a £30m secured loan facility to a distressed borrower.
- Reviewing and revising standard lending documentation for a national buy-to-let lender prior to syndication.
- Acting for a specialist lender in relation to a £1.9m mezzanine loan across a four block development site with two senior lenders with a transactional timeframe of one week from instruction to completion.
- Negotiating an intercreditor agreement between an alternative lender and the Greater London Authority.
- Advising on the launch of a new development finance lender, advising on regulatory requirements, operations, funding structure, drafting standard transactional documents and acting on subsequent senior and mezzanine transactions.
Posted on: May 3rd, 2024 by Natasha Cox
I joined the Employment team at Lawrence Stephens in March 2024, having practised exclusively at specialist employment firms following completion of my legal training at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP.
I act for businesses and individuals across the whole spectrum of employment law and a variety of industries from owner-managed businesses to large corporations. I have many clients from regulated sectors, primarily within financial services, but I also act for businesses regulated by the Gambling Commission, the Charity Commission, the Football Association and the English Football League.
While I advise on both contentious and non-contentious matters, my day-to-day work focuses on contentious issues. I regularly bring and defend claims arising from the Equality Act 2010 and I also advise clients on how best to balance conflicting or competing priorities under discrimination legislation.
I have extensive experience of dealing with contentious terminations and claims relating to breach of contract, wrongful dismissal and unfair dismissal. I also act in High Court claims relating to breaches of confidentiality obligations and post-termination restrictions arising from employment contracts, share purchase agreements and shareholders’ agreements. This sometimes follows the work I do with my Corporate and Commercial colleagues, advising on employment issues arising from corporate transactions.
Clients recommend me because I am a ‘safe pair of hands’, delivering timely and practical advice which also considers any regulatory obligations to which they are subject. Ultimately, my clients’ commercial objectives are always at the forefront of what I do. With my expertise in employment law complemented by a background in corporate law and prior experience in banking, I provide valuable insights and support to help my clients secure the best possible results.
Outside of work I am a member of the Campaign For Real Ale and love nothing more than attending a good beer festival!
Experience highlights
- Securing settlement and payment of full costs on behalf on a private equity client in relation to breaches of service and share purchase agreements by the former founders of the purchased business.
- Securing the withdrawal of unmeritorious claims made against an employer in relation to alleged pregnancy and maternity discrimination following the employee’s dismissal for poor performance.
- Representing a non-party client in relation in their successful opposition of an application for anonymity orders.
- Securing a significant settlement for a financial services employee in relation to complex claims of disability discrimination, including a continuous course of conduct occurring over several years.
- Advising a financial services employer in relation to the dismissal of their CEO, oversight of a subsequent independent investigation and advising on associated regulatory and litigious matters.
- Advising an overseas employer in relation to parallel grievance and disciplinary investigations relating to claims of sexual harassment and sex discrimination.
Posted on: November 27th, 2023 by Yvonne Uzoka
I joined the Employment team at Lawrence Stephens in November 2023, having previously trained and qualified at a mid-size City firm and subsequently practised at a specialist employment law firm. I also ran my own successful tuition business for 14 years, which gives me deep insight into the objectives and priorities of owner managed businesses.
I act for businesses and individuals in relation to a wide range of employment law matters, both contentious and non-contentious, at every stage in the life cycle of the employment relationship. My clients come from a wide variety of sectors including education, financial services, manufacturing, technology, recruitment and hospitality. I also act for charities and religious institutions.
I have extensive expertise in relation to workplace conflicts, contracts and policies, terminations of employment and negotiations of commercial settlements of claims. I represent businesses in relation to employment tribunal claims including unfair and wrongful dismissal, complex discrimination matters and whistleblowing detriment. I also work closely with my colleagues in the Corporate and Commercial team to provide specialist support regarding the employment law aspects of corporate transactions including in relation to the application of the TUPE Regulations.
I have an empathetic and strategic approach to resolving employment-related disputes. I undertake a holistic analysis of the risks associated with each potential course of action to be able to provide my clients with sector-specific solutions which are commercially sound. I also provide training to business managers on all aspects of employment law.
In my leisure time I enjoy dancing, climbing, strength training, theatre, and travel. My superpower is choosing just the right book for any adult or child!
Experience highlights
- Advising on the strategy and legal issues associated with the move of senior executives to a competitor in the financial services sector.
- Negotiating a complex and high-value exit package for the outgoing CEO of a global professional services and technology firm, settling potential unfair dismissal, whistleblowing and breach of contract claims.
- Securing the strike out and withdrawal of unmeritorious claims against a recruitment company client at the preliminary stage of legal proceedings.
- Successfully representing a hospitality chain in a series of coordinated service provision race discrimination claims brought by a group of customers.
Posted on: October 31st, 2023 by Yvonne Uzoka
I initially came to the UK from China to study in 2005, before moving to South Korea in 2011 and living in San Jose (USA) for a year. Having obtained a LLM in International Business Law from the University of Manchester and both LLB and LLM Honours degrees from the University of Law, I qualified as a UK solicitor.
Upon my return to the UK in 2015, I began my journey within the real estate industry. I focused on residential conveyancing, dealing with all matters relating to residential property, whilst also undertaking commercial property transactions. My experience includes acting for high-net-worth-individuals, companies, property developers and banks.
I am familiar with the issues and obstacles overseas buyers encounter when they are investing in the UK property market. I provide a bespoke and premium service to my clients and am particularly experienced in acting for high-net-worth-individuals from Asia investing in prime location properties in London. My background, language skills and professionalism ensure the conveyancing process my clients experience is efficient and smooth.
Outside of work, I love spend time with my family, especially my daughter. I love running, ice skating, play golf and skiing.
Experience highlights
- Acting on a £30m residential purchase in Holland Park
- Instructed on a £24m residential acquisition in Hanover Square, Mayfair
- Acting on a £15.25m Grade II listed Victorian House in St Johns Wood
- Acting on a £12m Grade II listed prestigious apartment in Hyde Park Gardens
- Acting on £9m new build flats portfolio purchase for an overseas investor in One Park Drive
- Acting on purchases of £7.5m and £6.6m leasehold flats in a prestigious Grade II listed mansion building in Kensington
- Advising on a purchase of £6.5m Grade II listed Victorian House in St Johns Wood
- Instructed on the sale of £5.5m luxury apartment in Chiltern Place
- Advising on the acquisition of investment properties in central London with complex islamic finance
Posted on: August 1st, 2023 by Natasha Cox
I am a Senior Associate and founding member of the Sports & Entertainment team at Lawrence Stephens. I act for clients on both contentious and non-contentious matters.
I act on high-profile matters within sport and my calm, direct and focused approach coupled with my strong commercial background and experience working with key stakeholders across the global sporting industry enables me to communicate and distill complex legal matters into practical advice in an engaging, accessible and actionable way.
I specialise in advising clients on commercial, image rights, employment, complex regulatory and cross-border matters in addition to acting for clients in disputes before The Football Association (FA), FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Given the international nature of my work, I frequently collaborate with colleagues from a variety of different countries, jurisdictions and backgrounds.
I am passionate about ensuring that costs are not a barrier to receiving top legal advice and access to justice and I regularly provide pro bono assistance to young athletes and entrepreneurs. Additionally, I have been a member of the American Bar Association’s Military Pro Bono Project since qualifying as a lawyer and have been appointed to the Sport Resolutions Pro Bono Service.
Experience highlights
- Representing clients in dozens of successful disputes before the FA (Rule K Arbitration and Contractual Disputes Tribunal), FIFA (Players’ Status Chamber and Dispute Resolution Chamber), the Court of Arbitration for Sport and other sporting and commercial arbitration bodies
- Advising a client on a record-breaking commercial sponsorship deal within women’s football
- Negotiating a precedent-setting employment contract on behalf of a men’s footballer client
- Advising players and agents on a wide range of issues relating to domestic and international transfers
- Advising players, families and football clubs on issues pertaining to international transfers of minor players
- Supporting the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) in negotiations with The FA in relation to benefits for the England women’s national team
- Supporting the PFA in negotiations with The FA in relation to the standard employment contract for women’s professional footballers
- Representing a client on a successful discrimination, abuse and harassment claim opposite one of the largest football entities in the world
- Advising a brand client on a multi-million pound sponsorship deal with a prominent Formula 1 team
- Advising athletes on their image rights, commercial opportunities and sponsorships
- Advising Premier League and Championship football clubs on commercial sponsorships
- Advising boxers on their promotional agreements and management agreements
- Advising multiple dual-national footballers and collaborated with national associations to facilitate the players’ decisions to make the ‘one-time switch’ to play for different national teams
- Negotiating and drafting complex agreements involving parties in multiple jurisdictions and requiring expertise in both EPPP and NCAA regulatory compliance for clients with Major League Soccer clubs, Premier League and EFL clubs operating Category 1 and Category 2 academies and NCAA colleges and universities
- Drafting services contracts on behalf of clients engaged with Premier League and EFL football clubs
- Advising athlete clients on reputation management issues
- Advising a UK client on establishing a US corporate headquarters
- Leading the due diligence team of a prospective bidder of a top-level football club
- Advising football clubs, agents and players on successfully securing Governing Body Endorsements from The FA
Posted on: February 28th, 2023 by Natasha Cox
I am a Senior Associate in the Lawrence Stephens Banking team, having previously spent over half a decade working as a banking associate at international law firms.
To date, I have advised on hundreds of banking transactions from inception at term sheet stage, through the lifecycle of document negotiation, to signing and completion and managing any post-close matters. I aim to mix sensible legal advice on key risk points with an eye on the commercial imperatives and flow of a transaction.
My practice ranges from advising individuals and SMEs on smaller lending projects through to syndicated transactions for a club of investment banks. I enjoy working on a variety of lending products and getting to grips with the different pressures and markets for each deal.
Away from work, I enjoy all forms of sport (increasingly from the comfort of my sofa) and spending time with family and friends.
Experience highlights
- Acting for a family office on a £3.5million loan for a family office lender on land which included a vineyard
- Representing a dental business on its corporate facilities (acquisition/capex and RCF) with a mainstream lender
- Advising bridging lenders on numerous bridging loan transactions for predominantly UK-based real estate assets
- Representing a number of mainstream banks on loan products, largely for UK-based property transactions
- Acting for a private equity sponsor as borrower in respect of a €100million facility from a structured lender
Posted on: February 10th, 2023 by Natasha Cox
I advise on all aspects of residential property transactions, from acting for freehold and leaseholders to first time purchasers and high value land estates. I also work with investment companies to increase their portfolio of properties.
My clients include individuals, HNWs, trustees and overseas clientele. I am focused on ensuring that my clients receive a service tailored to their needs so that they achieve their desired result.
The service that I provide is personal and flexible to ensure that my clients are confident that their sale and/or purchase is carried out thoroughly and efficiently. As well as drafting, reviewing and negotiating all the necessary documentation, I will conduct the relevant in-depth searches on my client’s behalf to minimise any risks during their transactions.
I enjoy travelling and experiencing different cultures and cuisines. There are still several countries that I wish to explore on my bucket list! I am also a keen writer and hope one day to be able to write a novel… I will finish your purchase first though!
Experience highlights
- Completing on a unique and stylish riverside property situated in an enviable location on the River Thames which has appeared in many publications and noted as the ‘boldest smaller county house in recent years’
- Assisting the corporate team in the acquisition of a £7m property in Kensington
- Acting for HNW individuals in buying and selling properties in prime London locations as well acting for investment companies in increasing their portfolio
