Lawrence Stephens’ Banking and Real Estate Finance teams recently advised Blue Shield Capital on a £5.7 million 12-month bridging loan. The loan was structured as a development exit loan on a block of 14 residential apartments located in Dorset.

The teams from Lawrence Stephens and Blue Shield Capital worked hard to expedite a swift completion and have subsequently liaised with the borrower on the sale of several of the residential apartments.

On the banking side, the team from Lawrence Stephens was led by Head of Banking and Director Ajoy Bose-Mallick, with assistance from Senior Associate Ashley Wright and Trainee Solicitor Electra Kallidou. Senior Associate Rachel Coulthard advised on the Real Estate elements of this loan.

Ajoy commented: “It was a pleasure working with the team from Blue Shield Capital to complete this transaction. Well done to all those involved in getting this deal over the line with special thanks going to the Blue Shield Capital team on their entrepreneurial and dynamic spirit to complete the deal and to Rachel who was proactive in reviewing the property aspects of this deal in real time”

We are delighted to announce that our Banking & Real Estate Finance team has recently completed a £3.5m loan for a family office lender on land which included a vineyard, within a month of instruction.

A new lender for the firm, the team worked hard to ensure swift competition of this loan.

The team was led by Lawrence Stephens’ Director and Head of Banking, Ajoy Bose-Mallick, with support from Director Paul Marsh, Senior Associates Ashley Wright and Rachel Coulthard and Trainee Solicitor Electra Kallidou.

Ajoy Bose-Mallick commented: “It was a pleasure to work with the lender on this deal, and we were delighted to have facilitated such a quick turnaround for the client and achieve a result which pleased all parties involved.

“The collaborative spirit and hard work of the teams involved was instrumental in getting this deal across the line and we look forward to working with this lender more closely on future loans.”

The lender commented: “We are delighted with the service from the team at Lawrence Stephens and we were particularly impressed by the way in which they handled this deal, were readily available to discuss issues and proactive in driving the deal forward.”

Lawrence Stephens’ Real Estate Finance and Banking Teams recently completed a £1.7M refurbishment loan, acting on behalf of Century Capital.

As is usual with Property Financing, the team worked collaboratively and cohesively to complete the transaction for our clients in an efficient manner.

The deal was led by Senior Associate Rachel Coulthard and our Head of Banking Ajoy Bose-Mallick with assistance from Banking Solicitor Rhiannon Hughes who worked on the security documents. The team behind the deal ensured that they reached completion in an orderly and speedy manner to contribute to a successful completion.

The borrower, an experienced developer and renowned interior designer, faced limited financing options due to age restrictions. However, with flexibility being at the heart of the Century Capital ethos, they were able to facilitate a deal that many other lenders would be unable to execute – and Lawrence Stephens was pleased to assist them in completing the transaction.

Ajoy Bose-Mallick comments on the deal: “This was our first completion with Century Capital, and if the willingness of the team to collaborate and communicate with us effectively is anything to go by, we hope it’s the first of many! An absolute pleasure to have completed on this transaction and we look forward to building the relationship on solid foundations!”

Rachel Coulthard comments on the deal: “It’s always great to assist in the completion of a time-sensitive transaction. This case was no exception and a total pleasure to have been able to complete in accordance with the exchanged contract. Looking forward to many more deals to come.”

Lawrence Stephens’ Real Estate Finance team acted on behalf of United Trust Bank’s Structured Finance team to complete the refinance of 9 commercial and residential properties with a loan of £2.8M. The funds were also utilised to purchase the shares of a company registered in the British Virgin Islands and for the refinancing of existing debt held by that company.

The Real Estate Finance team, led jointly by Sona Shah and Stavros Theophilou with support from Vidhushan Sujenthiran, worked to incredibly tight timelines, during which they overcame multiple hurdles and obstacles throughout the transaction. With an acute appreciation for the importance of speed and precision, the team worked efficiently to complete the significant deal prior to the festive period.

This transaction adds to a successful week of completions for United Trust Bank, with Sona having also completed a £1M loan for UTB in the same week; securing a commercial property in the newly generated Nine Elms area.

Stavros Theophilou, Director in the Real Estate Finance department at LS comments: “It has been a fantastic year for UTB’s Structured Finance team, and we are pleased to have completed yet another significant deal for our longstanding client. Despite some challenges along the way, the willingness of the Banks team and their introducing broker, combined with the responsiveness of LS team, enabled us to act purposefully and achieve successful completions”.

Adam Ware, Business Development Director, Structured Finance at UTB comments: “We are pleased to have closed another loan with the support of Lawrence Stephens. This was the type of deal for which UTB structured finance has a reputation for delivery, blending refinancing, share purchases, multiple jurisdictions and, of course, time pressure. Lawrence Stephens have a detailed understanding of our offering and approached the deal and its many hurdles with speed and tenacity. We look forward to closing more transactions in the new year.”

Lawrence Stephens completes a loan for Monument Bank Limited for the sum of £4.1M, secured over a portfolio of 8 properties. The completion was significant in terms of the nature and composition of the properties involved.

The Real Estate Finance team, led by Director Nisha Saigal, with support from Solicitors Christina Ioannou and Sona Shah, and Real Estate support from Senior Associate Angela McCarthy, acted on behalf of Monument Bank Ltd to ensure the transaction was delivered efficiently and ahead of the deadline.

Nisha Saigal, Director in the Real Estate Finance team comments on the deal: “It’s always a pleasure working with the brilliantly responsive team at Monument. Their willingness and drive to complete the deal helped us to get this transaction over the line. It was a real team effort and an excellent opportunity to cement our existing relationship with the Monument team”.