Nick is a partner in the Commercial Property team in Exeter. An experienced adviser to housebuilders, developers and landowners on the acquisition and disposal of strategic development land, Nick has substantial experience of conditional contracts and put and call options, promotion agreements and golden brick development agreements in the context of real estate development projects.

He also acts for borrowers and banks on property development projects, as well as providing advice to landlords and tenants engaged with or experiencing issues with development projects.

Having qualified as a solicitor in 1995, Nick has extensive experience of landlord and tenant issues, dealing with all landlord and tenant issues arising at various shopping centres and airports. He has also advised on the real estate aspects of numerous share and asset deals.

Nick joined Stephens Scown in May 2024, having previously been a partner for several years in London and the South East at Keystone Law and Marriott Harrison.

Examples of recent work include:

Property Development

• Acting for a regional housebuilder in its acquisition of various development sites throughout the South East.
• Acting for a residential developer of prime residential accommodation in London.
• Advice in connection with a £23m tax structured sale and leaseback of a substantial London property.
• Acting for lenders providing finance for residential and commercial development schemes.

Retail

• Advising on the acquisition of a portfolio of retail properties for c. £200m.
• Advising a client of a prestigious retail store on various landlord and tenant issues including store refurbishments.
• Acting for the landlords at regional shopping centres advising on unit leases.
• Advising a client on the acquisition of a lease for its retail/office HQ in Soho, London.

Leisure & Tourism

• Advising a client on raising finance for the development of a mixed-use hospitality, leisure and residential scheme in Portugal with a GDV of c€1.2billion+.
• Refinancing of five well-established UK countryside hotels.
• Advising a client on the development of a new hotel and leisure complex in the Bahamas with a GDV of cUSD1billion+.
• Assisting a client in the acquisition of a chain of hotels with a value of £30million+.
• Advising on the sale of a UK car franchise business involving substantial real estate interests.

Telecoms

• Acting for Level 3 Communications on the acquisition of several “points of presence” sites throughout the UK for its fibre network.
• Acting for Level 3 Communications on the acquisition of a data storage centre in the City of London.
• Acting for landowners negotiating leases and easements to telecoms operators.

Other

• Acting on a £5m sale and leaseback of a manufacturing facility in Northampton.
• Acting for an international brewer in its acquisition of newly constructed commercial premises.