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Commercial Real Estate

Property finance lawyers in London & Thames Valley

We act for lenders and borrowers in relation to the financing of commercial real estate investment and development. Our clients include high net worth individuals, institutional investors, funds and developers, institutional lenders and private banks.  

“They are knowledgeable, friendly, efficient and a pleasure to work with.” 

Chambers and Partners

FAQs

In general it is preferable to finance commercial property through a company due to the principal of limited personal liability. This offers individuals peace of mind that they are, in normal circumstances, only personally liable for the amount they originally put into the business/company. However, if the company does not hold any other assets, lenders may require you to provide a personal guarantee as security against the loan.

Commercial property is usually funded by personal or business capital or third-party finance -the latter can take the form of a loan from a lender and secured by a charge. You will need to ensure that you have funding in place before exchanging contracts, as lenders will likely need to satisfy themselves the property has good and marketable title . Usually the solicitor dealing with the purchase will be able to jointly act for the lender, but the bank may be separately represented if it is not an institutional lender, or if the loan value is high.

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Read, listen and watch our latest insights

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  • 16 November 2023
  • Commercial Real Estate

Navigating Telecom agreements: landlords beware

A telecommunications agreement, or wayleave agreement, is a contract between a service provider and a landowner which allows the service operator access to install infrastructure on the privately owned land, in return for wayleave fees.

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  • 20 September 2023
  • Commercial Real Estate

Is your property mixed use? Commercial buyers beware of higher residential SDLT

This article discusses a recent case in which a property buyer calculated the Stamp Duty Land Tax due on the purchase at a lower rate, due to the mixed-use purpose of the property.

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  • 08 August 2023
  • Commercial Real Estate

Non-binding Head of Terms

The Court of Appeal Case of Pretoria Energy Company (Chittering) Ltd v Blankney Estates Ltd found that a lease clause within a Heads of Terms document was not binding.

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  • 11 July 2023
  • Commercial Real Estate

What licences do you need to open a restaurant?

Opening and operating a restaurant can be an exciting venture, but it also involves navigating various legal requirements. One crucial aspect of operating a restaurant is obtaining the necessary licences and permits.

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  • 12 June 2023
  • Commercial Real Estate

Conditionality in Agreements for Lease

It is not always possible or desirable for an agreement for lease to be unconditional.  Often, there is a need for an agreement for lease where the ultimate grant of the lease is conditional upon certain conditions being satisfied. 

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  • 10 May 2023
  • Commercial Real Estate

Good news for landowners – deposit statement introduced to protect against town green registration

For many years it has been possible under Section 31(6) of the Highways Act 1980 to deposit a statement and map with the local highway authority setting out any public rights of way which are registered as crossing a piece of land.

We have always been impressed with the speed and reactivity displayed by the Clarkslegal Commercial Property team and their ability to make complex situations seem more straightforward.” 

Crown Europe

“It has been an immense pleasure to work closely with this firm that takes great care of its clients. The professionals are of the highest calibre and diligence.” 

Orkhan Eyyubov, Founding Director – New Canada Capital