I am a Senior Associate in the Real Estate department and act on a broad range of commercial property transactions and matters in the charity, business, heritage property and education sectors.
I deal with acquisitions, disposals, landlord and tenant matters, development projects, re-financing and corporate support work. In the charity sector I also deal with the property aspects of mergers, incorporations and other restructuring, Charities Act compliance, ecclesiastical matters and matters involving permanent endowment and trusts. In the education sector I have acted extensively for academy trusts, maintained schools, independent schools and further education colleges; dealing with academy conversions, academy transfers/restructuring, establishing Free Schools, FE college mergers, independent school sales/purchases, PFI projects, other capital projects, developments, acquisitions/disposals and Department for Education consents.
- I have acted for a charity set up to restore a stately home, leasing part of the grounds to an opera charity to raise funds for renovation, and obtaining conditional planning permission as part of the process. This long-term project received considerable press coverage and also involved a development agreement for the construction of the opera theatre, two s.106 agreements, a licence for use of the house/grounds, s.278 and s.38 Highways Agreements and a substation lease. I have also acted on another opera theatre project, representing a charitable foundation in taking a lease and granting an underlease, taking a loan and entering into a development agreement with the undertenant opera company.
- I have acted for a foreign property investor on a redevelopment and refinancing project for a property in the West End. I also acted for the investor on three high value leases (and corresponding conditional contracts and agreements for works) for a grade 1 listed courthouse, and subsequent refinancing (fixed charges and debentures) with the bank to raise funds for further redevelopment of this property.
- Represented a national charity in the sale of a multi-million pound heritage property and former adult education college. I lead this transaction which involved meeting tight deadlines, and tackling complex issues and hurdles involving VAT, Charities Act compliance and overage.
- Acted for a national charity on the sale of the care home arm of its business. As part of a team we dealt with a significant portfolio of freehold, leasehold and other types of property arrangements transferring to the buyer under a business purchase agreement, requiring a very uniformed and organised approach (but which still recognised the nuances of each site, which were spread right across the country). Some properties were subject to complex third-party interests which needed to be unravelled as part of the transfer.
- I represented a foreign investor in its acquisition of a prestigious independent school in Manchester. I lead on the property aspects of this complex transaction, dealing with matters such as negotiating an overage deed, rent charges, diocese covenants and consents, and multifaceted rent uplift provisions in a playing field lease and matters relating to the listed status of the building.
- Acted for a national professional body (and royal charter charity) in disposing of its London headquarters, involving a freehold sale with conditional contract subject to planning, overage provisions, and advising on Charities Act compliance as part of the disposal. I have subsequently helped the same client acquire a new freehold premises (a TOGC with occupational leases), which involved bank financing and the transfer of the building management agreement and service contracts.
- Assisted a multinational member protection organisation in the management of its freehold site in Leeds (granting leases and landlord consents), and acted on its granting of a high value underlease in the Shard.
- Co-authored the LexisNexis Charities Acts Handbook.
- Frequently represent corporate occupiers in moving leasehold office premises, often advising on the vacation of the current premises (dealing with points such as break notices, dilapidations and repair obligations) and ensuring a smooth transition into the new premises whilst negotiating and completing the new lease (and any agreement for lease) and advising on fit-out works (including obtaining landlord consents).
- Acted for a bank in its financing of a South London residential development, negotiating a complex suite of development and finance documents involving multiple parties in order to perfect security for the lender.
- Acted for a Cathedral as part of its involvement in the sale of an independent school, including advising on its transition to charity status triggered by the Cathedrals Measure 2021.
- Have worked for several rural and agricultural land-owning charities and religious orders in the management of their estates, including easement disputes, farm business tenancies, financing matters and property aspects of restructuring.