RLS Law

RLS Law is a specialist property central London law firm acting on all types of commercial property transactions for retailers, property companies, property developers, investors, corporate occupiers, housing associations, and bar and restaurant companies.

The firm: Co-headed by Julien Rutler and Craig Themis (both ex-Hogan Lovells), who founded the firm in 2003, RLS Law was set up specifically to provide good value, first-class, partner-level advice on mid-market transactions.

RLS Law continues to place huge emphasis on its original core values. It has developed a particularly strong reputation in acting for high-end retailers throughout the UK as well as large corporate office occupiers, housing associations (on the commercial property and residential development aspects of their portfolios), medium-sized property companies and developers, and restaurant and bar operators.

RLS Law is perceived as a viable alternative to mid-tier City firms, large West End firms and national practices. All the firm’s lawyers have more than ten years of experience at highly ranked law firms including Hogan Lovells, Mishcon De Reya, Norton Rose, Slaughter and May, and therefore have a high level of experience and expertise, and work is not delegated to junior lawyers. It has gained a reputation for having a dynamic, responsive and proactive team of top-quality lawyers, offering legal services at competitive rates.

RLS continues to build on this reputation, and has recently secured some high-profile new clients including Ottolenghi, Agent Provocateur and Vilebrequin. Other clients include CBS Corporation, Deliveroo, Look Ahead Care and Support, Sonos, Soho Housing Association, Simon & Schuster, Stone Island & TCN UK Limited. The firm carries out site visits for clients where practicable, enabling it to better understand the properties and to spot any potential issues which may otherwise be overlooked. This level of service means it is widely recommended by many London agents as their law firm of choice due to its outstanding client service, and 100% of clients surveyed say they would recommend RLS to others.

RLS Law’s remuneration structure is heavily geared towards encouraging fee-earners to obtain their own clients and win work, both from new and existing clients. This ensures it delivers the best possible service as the greatest source of new business is from satisfied customers. As a small modern practice with a commercial remuneration structure, this means RLS is able to keep its operating costs tightly controlled, which in turn allows it to keep fees extremely competitive for its clients.

The firm envisages continued growth in the coming year, and aims to further expand by the addition of senior like-minded lawyers, with similar training and experience to the existing team.

Types of work undertaken: RLS Law specialises and regularly advises on sales and purchases (including portfolios) of freehold and leasehold commercial properties; leases of office, retail, industrial and warehousing space acting for landlords and tenants; corporate support (the firm assists commercial law firms that do not have specialist property expertise); property finance for investment and development loans for lenders and borrowers; property-related insolvency matters; commercial property portfolio management; leisure property – dealing with the sale and purchase of bars and restaurants and associated assets; property development; option agreements and pre-emptions; sale and leasebacks; and compulsory purchase matters, including compromise agreements.

In the area of property litigation, RLS Law assists freeholders, landlords, tenants and other property holders in dealing with a full range of disputes, including lease renewals; dilapidations; rent reviews; portfolio management issues; service charge disputes; recovery of possession; collection of rent; breaches of covenant; construction disputes; planning applications, section 106 agreements and appeals; sale and purchase of land; restrictive convenants; highway and rights of way issues; compulsory purchase; and insolvency aspects of holding property.