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Ashley Wright

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 £3.5m 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 €100m facility from a structured lender

Hafsa Umarji

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

Laura Gill

Posted on: February 10th, 2023 by Natasha Cox

With over 15 years’ experience and exposure to a broad range of residential property matters, I joined Lawrence Stephens in November 2022 as an Associate in the Real Estate Team. I am now a Senior Associate.

My client base is varied – I support first-time buyers, investors (UK and overseas) and high-net-worth individuals. I undertake all residential property matters largely in central London and, in recent years, have thoroughly enjoyed acting for overseas investors on prestigious London new build developments. I am focused on providing a structured but personable service for my clients.

Away from the office, I am a keen foodie – passionate about all things related to food from fine dining and champagne brunches to street food and experimenting with new recipes.  I also enjoy hosting dinners, reading and running when time permits and am at my happiest when spending quality time with family and friends.

Experience highlights

  • Acting on a Nomination of Contract for an overseas investor to purchase a £2.2m apartment at the new Prince of Wales Drive development in Battersea Park
  • Acting for an overseas company in the sale of a £1.7m house in Harrow

Milana Katz

Posted on: February 10th, 2023 by Natasha Cox

I am a banking and finance senior associate specialising in real estate finance and corporate lending. My client portfolio comprises of major UK banks, alternative lenders, funds and borrowers.  

Since qualifying into the Banking team at Lawrence Stephens in November 2019, I have developed my real estate finance banking practice by acting for clients on term and bridging facilities on both a regulated and unregulated basis to enable the completion of purchases, refinances and developments across a variety of real estate asset classes including residential properties, hotels, student accommodations, nurseries and care homes. 

I have extensive experience in advising on bilateral and syndicated loans as well as funding lines and loan-on-loan facilities. I regularly complete deals with cross border elements where I instruct lawyers in jurisdictions such as the BVI, Jersey, Guernsey, Scotland and RAK ICC to provide capacity and authority legal opinions.

On the corporate lending side, I continue to assist lenders and borrowers alike on revolving credit facilities and other financial arrangements to help meet the businesses’ expansion plans and working capital requirements.

I have also undertaken a client secondment to OakNorth Bank Plc where I advised on a broad range of finance deals spanning both the UK and the US.

Lastly, I pride myself on being responsive, commercial, reliable and taking a solutions focused approach to my transactions.

When I am not getting deals over the line, I enjoy spending time with my two children, Leo and Goldie, as well as my husband (in that order).

Experience highlights 

  • Completed a £40mil investment loan facility for a UK challenger bank to assist their borrower in the acquisition of several residential properties with a pre-let in place to registered care providers and to also fund minor refurb capex for properties as required
  • Acted on behalf of a bank to provide loan facilities in the aggregate amount of £7mil to a residential and nursing home for older people provider to enable them to acquire a number of care homes in the Counties adjoining Staffordshire and other key locations across the Midlands and South Wales, which was a deal that necessitated a collaborative approach from our corporate, banking and real estate finance teams
  • Advised a Danish limited partnership in relation to a £2.9mil refinance secured against a purpose built detached health and fitness centre currently operated by Nuffield Health
  • Advised a UK bank on a £7mil trading business loan facility secured against a prominent hotel in Nottingham operating under a franchise agreement to a Guernsey registered borrower with a number of international shareholders to refinance its existing debt and provide equity cash-out to the UBO
  • Acted on a circa £2.5mil loan-on-loan facility where I advised both the bank that was providing back-to-back financing and the lender that made the loan available to the ultimate borrower
  • Negotiated a £10mil uncommitted revolving funding line facility on behalf of an established bridging lender
  • Advised a bridging lender on a circa £12mil bridge loan to be used to purchase freehold land with vacant possession and finance development costs associated with the change of use from office to residential under permitted development rights with planning to provide 163 flats

Anna Christou

Posted on: February 10th, 2023 by Natasha Cox

I am a Senior Associate in the Real Estate Finance Department having joined Lawrence Stephens in 2011. 

I have a wealth of experience acting for leading UK buy-to-let lenders, bridging lenders, challenger banks and building societies, dealing with both regulated and unregulated loans on commercial and residential property portfolios.

I am by nature a people person. I build strong relationships with my clients by investing time in getting to know them and their business needs, thereby ensuring that my advice is always commercial, practical, and forward-thinking.

I work closely with brokers and other professionals on every deal as I believe that collaboration and clear communication are the key to efficiency, consistency and maintaining an excellent reputation in the long term.

Whilst I enjoy the thrill of completing complex deals to tight timescales, I am also invested in supporting my clients on a broader level be it through improving legal understanding with regular seminars or being agile in my approach and style to support rapid growth.

Outside of work, I am kept busy by my three amazing daughters and their social calendars. I love cooking, baking and fitness.

Experience highlights 

  • Acting for a buy-to-let lender on a £7m loan secured over 10 new build flats.
  • Being a key member of the team that assisted a banking client grow a loan book from £60m to £2.5bn in a little under three years. 
  • Acting for borrower on an £8.5m refinancing of a site in central London in a matter of days.
  • Acting for borrower on an £18m refinancing of a portfolio of 120 residential properties

Ausra Triantafyllidou

Posted on: February 10th, 2023 by Natasha Cox

I act for lenders and investors on all facets of Real Estate Financing across residential and commercial sectors.

My primary focus is on secured lending transactions including investment and development finance matters.  I have considerable experience acting for a number of well known and smaller bridging lenders – working under pressure and to strict deadlines has become second nature.

I advise clients on landlord and tenant matters that include a wide range of transactions.  The versatility of my expertise allows me to provide service that is tailored to my clients’ needs including acquisitions, disposals, lettings, transfers of portfolios to corporate structures and finance transactions.  I therefore act for a number of long-standing investors with large commercial, residential and mixed use portfolios.

With experience in a wide range of sectors, I adopt a proactive and commercial approach to all transactions.