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Lawrence Stephens appoints specialist immigration lawyer to head new department

Posted on: January 7th, 2025 by Natasha Cox

Leading full-service law firm Lawrence Stephens is pleased to announce the appointment of specialist immigration lawyer Skylar McKeith, who will head the firm’s new Immigration practice.

Skylar provides strategic advice to both corporate and private clients, and represents high-net-worth individuals and celebrities, high-profile business professionals, and companies.

Highlights of her work include securing a Global Talent visa for an Emmy Award-winning American actor, successfully obtaining Skilled Worker visas for employees of a renowned art gallery and securing a sponsor licence for a professional women’s football club – enabling the recruitment of international talent.

Skylar’s appointment also marks the launch of Lawrence Stephens’ new Immigration practice. Complementing the firm’s existing suite of services, the launch of this new department will allow Lawrence Stephens to continue to provide its wide range of clients with the very best in integrated legal advice.

Skylar is an active member of the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association and a regular commentator in the national press and across radio and television, contributing to media discussions around hot-button immigration issues.

Commenting on her appointment, Skylar said: “Lawrence Stephens is a dynamic firm which has grown significantly over the past few years, and I am delighted to join such a vibrant and acknowledged team of legal experts.

“I look forward to working closely with the firm’s existing departments to provide clients with a full suite of services.”

Steven Bernstein, Managing Director at Lawrence Stephens, commented: “We are excited to announce Skylar’s appointment and the formation of our new Immigration department, with her at its core.

 “It is a pleasure to welcome Skylar to the Lawrence Stephens team. Her combination of legal expertise with commercial advice and strategy will enable us to provide a more dynamic offering to clients.”

For more information on Lawrence Stephen’s Immigration practice, please click here

Lawrence Stephens expands its Real Estate Disputes team with appointment of Senior Associate Roberto Francis

Posted on: January 6th, 2025 by Natasha Cox

Leading dispute resolution firm, Lawrence Stephens, is pleased to announce the appointment of Roberto Francis as Senior Associate to its Real Estate Disputes team.

Roberto joins 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.

Head of Real Estate Disputes, Abtin Yeganeh said “We’re delighted to welcome Roberto to our team. We’re certain that the breadth of his experience will enhance our service offering and enable us to continue delivering commercially focused, marketing-leading legal advice.”

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 The Cotswold Company on the expansion of its omni-channel presence

Posted on: December 19th, 2024 by Natasha Cox

Lawrence Stephens has advised The Cotswold Company, the well-known premium furniture and homeware brand, on commercial contracts to support the expansion of its omni-channel presence through third party retailers. The company has launched its products on NEXT.co.uk and with John Lewis & Partners online, alongside the introduction of a dedicated brand space within the iconic Peter Jones store in Chelsea.

Founded in 1996, The Cotswold Company offers a range of thoughtfully designed furniture, with a focus on quality materials and craftsmanship. These contracts mark the brand’s first entry onto third-party retail platforms, complementing its fast-growing e-commerce site and 10 UK showrooms.

In a recent article in Retail Week, Cotswold Company chief executive Ralph Tucker said: “With our new partnerships with John Lewis Partnership and Next – both of which have gone live in time for Christmas – we’re making tangible steps towards delivering growth and becoming one of the UK’s leading premium homeware brands.”

Rachael Pinchbeck, Head of Commercial Finance, The Costwold Company said “Bradley and Craig were a pleasure to work with. Their contractual expertise and retail experience resulted in the smooth and timely completion of contracts ahead of our successful launches. We look forward to working with Bradley and the Lawrence Stephens team on future projects.”

Director Bradley Lee advised on the commercial contracts, while real estate advice was provided by Director Craig Mullen.

Lawrence Stephens prepares source of funds reports for property bought at auction using crypto assets

Posted on: December 16th, 2024 by Natasha Cox

Despite cyptocurrencies becoming more mainstream, recent commentary suggests that investors are still finding it hard to utilise these to purchase property in the UK. A recent Financial Times article highlighted the low appetite for sellers to accept cryptocurrencies. As a result, if purchasers want to use their crypto investments towards a property purchase, this usually involves converting the cryptocurrency into traditional or fiat currency – legal tender established by government regulation.

Much of the reluctance to accept funds derived from  the disposal of cryptocurrency comes from its well-publicised association with criminal activity, in particular money laundering. Law firms have obligations imposed by the SRA in relation to checking sources of wealth and sources of funds for anti-money laundering (AML) purposes. Solicitors have a legal duty to ensure that any, and all, funds used within a property transaction have come from a legitimate source. They must therefore establish the original source of the funds, not the mere availability of funds in a bank account.

Establishing the legitimacy of funds generated through cryptoasset activity requires the instruction of an expert who is able to carry out a full report on the crypto proceeds being used. The content of this report includes documenting and reporting of the cryptoasset activity, including the initial ‘on-ramp’ into crypto (i.e. the exchange of traditional fiat money into cryptoassets), the purchase of cryptoassets, and the subsequent cryptoasset activity to the ultimate liquidation and ‘off-ramp’ from cryptoassets back into traditional fiat money which was then being used to make the purchase. This report can then form the basis on which the conveyancer can make a judgment as to whether it is safe to proceed with the proposed transaction.

There are currently few law firms with the required expertise to produce such reports. Buyers wishing to use crypto assets for property purchases should be especially aware of the need to establish legal source of funds when buying property at auction.

The Lawrence Stephens’ team was recently called in at short notice to assist a client who had purchased a property for £210,000 at auction. He had intended to fund the purchase by utilising proceeds mainly generated through investing and trading on cryptoassets. Our client had instructed solicitors in relation to the purchase. However, just two days before the notice to complete was due to expire, the client was informed that they did not have the necessary expertise and could not provide the required report on the source of funds coming by way of crypto. At this late stage, he was at risk of losing his 10% deposit.

The Lawrence Stephens’ team – comprised of Asim Arshad and Gunduz Misiri – were able to take on the instructions and were able to extend the notice to complete by three days. This gave the team enough time to complete a full crypto source of funds report to verify the funds coming by way of crypto and intended to be utilised for the purchase. We were pleased to effect the completion of the purchase within the agreed upon extended time.

 

A firm to watch: Lawrence Stephens features in The Lawyer podcast

Posted on: December 6th, 2024 by Natasha Cox

The Lawyer 200 celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and Editors Catrin Griffiths, Christian Smith and Richard Simmons have been sharing their views on their annual survey in their regular podcast which presents their take on the top stories, trends and views in the legal market.

In October they reviewed five firms from the Top 100 survey that they are watching in the coming years, for good and ill. In their latest episode they revealed the five firms outside of the Top 100 that they are also watching. These firms were selected for their “momentum, innovation, promise, growth…or not!” and we are delighted to report that Lawrence Stephens is featured in a very positive light. We were praised for our ‘twin engine’ focus for growth, working with challenger banks and similar institutions alongside owner managed businesses and the individuals who own and manage these.

The podcast is available via Spotify or Apple, please click on the relevant link to listen further.         

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.”

Matt Green to present expert evidence to House of Lords on Property (Digital Assets etc) Bill

Posted on: December 2nd, 2024 by Natasha Cox

Matt Green, Head of Blockchain and Digital Assets will be giving evidence to the House of Lords in the Property (Digital Assets etc) Bill this Thursday.

The bill is designed to ensure new asset classes aren’t prevented from being the subject of property rights if they do not fall neatly into the relevant two categories under common law.

As the Chair of techUK’s Digital Asset Working Group, Matt will be giving expert evidence on the impact of this legislation.

You can view the livestream of Matt’s appearance from 11.30am on Thursday 5 December by clicking here.

 

Lawrence Stephens advises Blue Shield Capital on £16.7m loan

Posted on: November 21st, 2024 by Hugh Dineen-Lees

We are pleased to report that Lawrence Stephens has advised regular client Blue Shield Capital on a £16.7 million loan for a UK landlord and BTR operator specialising in city centre rental living.

This 12-month facility, across two assets in Manchester and Leeds, will support their borrower in redeeming their existing debt and restructuring their portfolio. Blue Shield Capital is a fast-growing property lending firm who provides flexible financing solutions for property owners and investors. This deal is one of 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.

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 one of their largest deals to date. Credit to the dynamic Lawrence Stephens’ team for delivering a fantastic outcome for our client”.

Lawrence Stephens advises the Compliance Group on the acquisition of Electrical Test Midlands

Posted on: November 18th, 2024 by Natasha Cox

Lawrence Stephens is delighted to have advised The Compliance Group on the acquisition of Electrical Test Midlands (ETM), a leading specialist in electrical testing and compliance with over two decades of expertise.

Established in 2019, the Compliance Group is a leading integrated provider of safety and regulatory compliance services across electrical, fire and water. They help their clients to reduce risk, improve safety and assure regulatory compliance in a wide range of sectors.

The Group, one of the Ansor portfolio of companies, has become one of the UK’s leading compliance businesses through a combination of organic growth and acquisition. This is the Group’s fourth acquisition in 2024, following the earlier acquisitions of CT Fire Protection, Fire Safe Services and Intersafe. Lawrence Stephens is proud to have advised on all these transactions.

The team was led by Managing Director Steven Bernstein, with assistance from solicitors Isobel Moran and Carla Bernstein.

Phil Campion, Managing Director of Compliance Group Electrical, said of the deal: “ETM brings an exceptional level of technical skill, a commitment to customer service, as well as shared values of responsibility and sustainability. We are excited to welcome them into Compliance Group’s Electrical Division and further strengthen our position in the electrical safety and testing space and offer more comprehensive services to our clients across multiple sectors.“

Lawrence Stephens appoints litigation and commercial fraud specialist Dominic Holden

Posted on: November 12th, 2024 by Natasha Cox

Leading full-service law firm Lawrence Stephens is pleased to announce the appointment of dispute resolution specialist Dominic Holden, who joins as a Director in its Dispute Resolution department.

News of Dominic’s appointment was published in Commercial Dispute Resolution here and The Legal Diary here

Dominic specialises in substantial civil fraud claims, as well as complex data and hacking claims and multi-national, investigatory, enforcement and asset tracing work.

Prior to joining Lawrence Stephens, Dominic was Head of Litigation at Burlingtons in Mayfair.

Dominic advises on a broad range of commercial disputes and has particular expertise in matters involving complex and cross-border elements. Notable highlights include acting for aviation magnate Farhad Azima in his long-running and high-profile litigation against Ras-Al Khaimah’s sovereign wealth fund and its advisers, international law firm Dechert LLP and former partner Neil Gerrard.

Dominic also advises on breach of trust, professional negligence, contentious insolvency and director, shareholder and/or partnership disputes.

With a wealth of experience in litigation and disputes, Dominic’s appointment reflects the continued and exciting growth of Lawrence Stephens in recent years, while bolstering both the firm’s existing Dispute Resolution offering and cross-practice expertise.

Commenting on his appointment, Dominic said: “I am excited to begin the next chapter of my career with Lawrence Stephens. It is a pleasure to be working alongside a dynamic team of leading practitioners across a range of sectors, helping clients to navigate a range of high-profile and complex international disputes.”

Lawrence Kelly, Director in the Dispute Resolution department at Lawrence Stephens, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Dominic to the Lawrence Stephens team. His experience and tenacity complement our Dispute Resolution offering and broaden our cross-departmental expertise – allowing us to continue to offer our clients bespoke and integrated legal advice.”

Matt Green, Director and Head of Blockchain and Digital Assets and Technology Disputes at Lawrence Stephens, commented: “Dominic is a truly first-class litigator with a wealth of experience in technology disputes including litigation relating to hacking and data issues, I look forward to working with Dominic closely on a range of technology related matters at Lawrence Stephens.”

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.