Westfort Advisors & Newmanor Law Roundtable – Navigating the new property finance landscape
Westfort Advisors & Newmanor Law co-hosted a roundtable event last week, with a group of lenders, borrowers and insolvency practitioners to discuss the commercial property finance landscape and the challenges and opportunities presented by the current market. With values in retreat and lenders remaining cautious about the future trajectory of the market, many borrowers looking…
Read MoreCommercial awareness from legal advisers
Reflecting on a recent conversation with a Newmanor Law client, when we posed them the question, what does good service look like to you, we were surprised by their answer. Firstly, although they had worked with different law firms for decades, we were the first firm to ask them this question. Secondly, after explaining that…
Read MoreLandlords must be careful with rights to break
If landlords ever need a reminder that a decision to exercise a break right in a lease should be backed up by well presented, thought through evidence then the recent County Court case BMW (UK) Ltd v K Group is essential reading. The key term that the Court was asked to decide which is of…
Read MoreUnderstanding the new building safety rules (April 2023)
If there was any doubt surrounding the UK’s building safety regulations, then 2017’s Grenfell Tower tragedy served as a stark reminder to everyone. In the aftermath the government conducted a full review into the cause of the tragedy and the validity of the building and fire safety regulations surrounding it. In 2018, a report entitled…
Read MoreNewmanor Law bolster their construction team with the addition of an experienced consultant
Niche commercial property law firm Newmanor Law has capped off a period of growth and expansion with the appointment of Laurence Sheppard – a Construction Consultant with almost 30 years of legal experience. Having previously advised on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious construction matters both home and abroad, Laurence brings a wide range…
Read MoreRetail round table 6 July 2023
Newmanor Law and Begbies Traynor co-hosted an illuminating round table discussion on the retail industry with asset owners, lenders and advisory professionals. The conversation was expertly chaired by Duncan Lamb. David Birne of Begbies Traynor gave a summary of the retail market which continues to face increasing cost pressures. Over 20% of retailers surveyed by…
Read MoreSite Acquisition: What to consider
Any developer looking to acquire a specific site upon which to develop properties should take expert legal advice from the earliest possible moment to ensure the transaction runs as smoothly as possible. Matters that will need immediate attention are any planning permissions required or currently in place, environmental investigations, and the commercial aspects of the…
Read MoreRetrospective Planning Permission
On the face of it ‘retrospective planning permission’ sounds like a fairly esoteric legal issue, most likely pertaining to matters like guttering which protrudes past the roof edging by too many inches, or the wrong shade of slate used to patch a roof. The fact of the matter is, however, that applying for planning permission…
Read MoreUsing Development Agreements to Unlock Opportunities
On one level, every property development, at least in the earliest stages, is an example of a potential opportunity which may or may not be realised dependent upon the actions of the owner and any development agency they might employ. The more possible variables that can be set in stone at the outset, in the…
Read MoreCommercial Property Landlords – Are you ready for the arrival of the new MEES regulations?
Introduced in 2015, the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) require landlords to achieve a minimum rating of E on their energy performance certificates (EPC) to avoid incurring hefty fines and penalties for non-compliance. These requirements are set to become even stricter as of 1st April 2023 with existing leases that were granted before 1st April…
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