Shoosmiths LLP

Lauren is a dual qualified real estate lawyer with over 15 years' experience in all aspects of residential development and commercial property work.

She acts for both housebuilders and landowners in connection with conditional contracts, development agreements, short and long term strategic option agreements, complex overage arrangements, promotion agreements, joint venture agreements and collaboration arrangements, as well as advising on complex title issues.

She also has extensive experience of buying and selling investments properties and acting for developers in all types of commercial property development (including waste to energy and other types of renewable energy developments), as well as landlords and tenants.

Her recent experience includes acting for:

• national housebuilders in connection with the negotiation and conclusion of conditional contracts for the purchase of numerous development sites throughout Central Scotland;
• a national housebuilder in connection with the complex re-gear of an existing option to purchase a 1000 unit site and involving a number of complex title and contractual issues;
• a landowner in connection with the sale of a development site to two residential developers in a number of phases and including a series of complex contractual arrangements, including advising on the re-negotiation of the terms of the contracts in light of the impact of COVID-19;
• a national housebuilder in connection with the property aspects proposed joint venture arrangements with an associated development company;
• a developer client in connection with the sale of various plots within a redevelopment site to retail, café and business unit occupiers;
• the developer of a waste to energy project in connection with the negotiation of an option to take a lease;
• a landlord in connection with the grant of several options to lease for a variety of prospective energy projects at a prominent port regeneration site;
• a large UK plc client in the energy sector in connection with a number of varied and complex matters related to the proposed sale and redevelopment of a redundant power station;
• UK ports client in connection with the negotiation and completion of a lease for a new cruise berth and associated agreement for lease for a new cruise terminal on the River Clyde.

She has been praised by clients for her pragmatic "can do" attitude and her ability to quickly assimilate complex legal and commercial issues, allowing her to provide technical legal advice that meets her clients' commercial objectives.