Posted on: March 3rd, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I am a director in the Commercial Real Estate team, having joined Lawrence Stephens from Memery Crystal in January 2025. Prior to joining Memery Crystal, I spent 10 years at BCLP.
I have gained extensive commercial property experience across a wide range of areas including development, pre-lettings, acquisitions and disposals, international project management, joint ventures and landlord and tenant matters.
Throughout my career, I have acted for major international and domestic clients including developers, funds, corporate occupiers and supermarkets within the office, industrial and retail sectors.
Experience
- Acted for an international luxury hotel brand on the acquisition of its first UK hotel in Mayfair.
- Advised a multinational brewery, distillery and bar chain on a variety of Property transactions across its UK portfolio of bars.
- Acted for a major supermarket chain on the acquisition, disposal and management of shopping centres and supermarkets.
- Advised one of the UK’s largest housebuilders on various mixed-use developments.
Posted on: February 19th, 2025 by Hugh Dineen-Lees
I joined Lawrence Stephens in February 2025 as a paralegal in the Commercial Real Estate team, bringing over three years of experience from my time at Memery Crystal.
My expertise spans a wide range of commercial property matters, including landlord and tenant transactions, acquisitions and disposals, and financing. I also have experience handling residential real estate matters.
Outside of work I keep myself busy by studying for the PGDL, keeping fit, and socialising with friends.
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: February 10th, 2025 by Hugh Dineen-Lees
I joined Lawrence Stephens as a solicitor in the Commercial Real Estate department in February 2025. I previously worked with Memery Crystal as a solicitor and a paralegal in their Commercial Real Estate team. I completed my training at a well-regarded regional firm where I completed seats in private client, corporate and commercial, and real estate.
Throughout my time working in the real estate sector, I have gained high quality experience in all aspects of real estate with a focus on landlord and tenant matters and commercial property acquisitions and disposals.
I enjoy getting to know my clients’ business on an in-depth level to ensure that I always come out with the best result for them.
Outside of my work, I enjoy travelling as much as I can as well as being a keen football fan.
Experience highlights
- Advising multiple large garden centre operators on all aspects of their commercial property portfolio management including the roll out of electric vehicle charging points.
- Acted for an international fast food business on their new franchise locations.
- Advised on the real estate aspects of the sale of a leading economic think tank based in London.
- Acted on the real estate elements of an £18 million refinancing of a student accommodation in London.
- Advised a well known beauty retailer on the re gear and renewals of their property leases following an administration process.
Posted on: January 31st, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I am a Director in the Commercial Real Estate team, having joined Lawrence Stephens from Memery Crystal in 2025.
I act for a wide variety of clients ranging from retail landlords and tenants, to institutional lenders and property developers. I have a particular experience in industrial properties acting for both buyers and sellers. I pride myself on my ability to understand a client’s motivations and priorities within a transaction.
Outside work, I am a a sports fan and play football, tennis and cricket. I also enjoy cooking and travelling (sometimes at the same time).
Experience
- Assisted on the purchase of a property in Liverpool for £68million.
- Led the refinancing of 9 properties in Central London with a loan amount of £15million.
- Part of a small team that acted on the purchase of a commercial site in Oxford for £13million.
- Acted on the sale of a Science Retail Park for £45million.
- Led on the purchase of numerous industrial properties ranging from £500,000 – £8million
- Acted on behalf of a well-known money exchange company on numerous leases throughout central London with rents ranging from £75,000 per annum to £1.2million per annum.
Posted on: January 31st, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I am a Director in the Commercial Real Estate team, where I specialise in the acquisition, disposal, development, regeneration, financing, and management of high-value assets in commercial real estate, John acts for clients ranging from international real estate funds and listed house builders to private investors.
I joined Lawrence Stephens in 2025, having spent four years at Memery Crystal and seven years at sister brand Rosenblatt.
Experience
- Acting for a listed house builder on numerous strategic land acquisitions and serviced land parcel sales.
- Acting for a UK real estate investment group with a motor-trade focus on the disposal of a portfolio of 16 car dealerships.
- Acting for a private overseas investor on the acquisition of a Mayfair property for a luxury mixed-use development.
- Advising a Fortune 500 payment technology company on the letting and fit-out of their UK headquarters.
- Acting on the pre-let, development and subsequent investment sales of numerous retail, industrial and office sites.
- Advising a corporate finance advisory on the office acquisition and fit-out of an office floor in the Shard.
- Acting on the acquisition of a portfolio of 40 mixed tenure petrol filling stations for a roadside retail operator.
- Acting for various impact investors on multi-million pound rolling programmes of portfolio acquisitions of residential multi let properties to be leased to charities who specialise in rehousing ex offender, ex-military personal, the homeless and other vulnerable groups to be sub-sold and held by a fund to ensure the continued and long term use of the properties for social housing purposes.
Posted on: January 31st, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I am a Director in the Commercial Real Estate team, having joined Lawrence Stephens from Memery Crystal in January 2025.
I have extensive experience in a range of commercial real estate matters including acquisitions and disposals and landlord and tenant matters, as well as advising on development projects and property finance transactions. I also have many years of experience assisting residential real estate clients, specialising in the London prime central market.
Experience
- Acted on the purchase of a mixed use, occupied (serviced offices and hostel) building in Kensington.
- Acted for a buyer on the purchase of a Grade II Listed building in Belgravia, a development site to be converted into luxury apartments.
- Acted for a tenant being granted a 10-year lease of three-level office space in a prestigious, newly renovated Mayfair building.
- Assisted a corporate client on the sale of a care home site in Walthamstow.
- Acted for a corporate client, advising on property matters, in respect of a castle purchase in Shropshire.
- Advises the owners of a London based organic produce store with multiple sites across London.
Posted on: January 31st, 2025 by Natasha Cox
I am a Director in the Commercial Real Estate team, specialising in general commercial real estate with a mixture of investment, development, finance, occupier, and management work.
I also have considerable experience dealing with distressed real estate on behalf of banks and insolvency practitioners.
Experience
- Acting on the acquisition of a portfolio of 15 mixed tenure petrol filling stations for a roadside retail operator.
- Acting on the acquisition and development of numerous new to industry petrol filling station sites for a roadside retail operator.
- Acting for various impact investors on multi-million pound rolling programmes of portfolio acquisitions of residential multi-let properties to be leased to charities who specialise in rehousing ex-offender, ex-military personnel, the homeless and other vulnerable groups to be sub-sold and held by a fund to ensure the continued and long term use of the properties for social housing purposes.
- Acting on the pre-let and forward sale of a Travelodge hotel.
- Acting on the pre-let, development and subsequent investment sales of numerous retail, industrial and office sites.
- Acting for a manufacturer on its land acquisition and subsequent development and financing of a bespoke distribution warehouse facility.
- Acting for liquidators on the disposal of a portfolio of over 140 freehold and leasehold pubs.
- Acting for administrators on the disposal of 5 mixed tenure business parks and associated management company structure.
- Acting for a hedge fund relocating to newly built office accommodation in the city and exiting them from their existing lease arrangements.
- Acting on numerous institutional office lettings for a leading developer and investor.
Posted on: October 28th, 2024 by Hugh Dineen-Lees
I joined Lawrence Stephens as a Trainee Solicitor in September 2024 and currently work in the Commercial Real Estate team, having completed my first seat with the Banking team.
I read English Literature at the University of Bristol before studying a Master of Arts in Law at The University of Law. I then went on to sit the first set of Solicitor Qualifying Exams (SQE1) and have recently sat the final set, SQE2.
Outside of work I enjoy running, lacrosse and cooking for friends and family.
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: October 8th, 2024 by Hugh Dineen-Lees
I joined Lawrence Stephens’ Commercial Real Estate team in 2024.
My experience ranges from advising institutional funds, governmental entities and luxury brands, to restaurants and hotels. I have worked on behalf of both landlord and tenants, as well as on acquisitions, disposals and property management.
I enjoy building strong relationships with clients and invest time in getting to know their business needs to ensure a commercial and practical approach to transactions.
I am also a member of the Lawrence Stephens European focus team and am available to support international clients seeking English legal advice and connect domestic clients with law firms in other international jurisdictions. I speak both French and Spanish, having lived and worked in both countries, including stints at the fashion designer, Valentino Garavani, a Paris-based law firm and six months studying in Valencia. During my training at a US firm, I also worked regularly with their Paris office.
Outside of work I love to attend fashion and art exhibitions and I enjoy sports, fitness and travelling.
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.
