Laura Hallett Lea

Expertise

Laura has over 10 years’ experience in helping clients to resolve disputes concerning land and property.

Laura represents owners, occupiers, developers, tenants and landlords, advising on commercial, residential, agricultural and mixed-use property for a range of clients, from individual landowners to multi-national corporations.

She has extensive experience across several sectors including retail, offices, leisure, hospitality (including licenced premises), housing, pensions, industrial, healthcare and residential and commercial development.

How do you help your clients?

I work with developer clients to help solve legal issues which arise during the planning, development and construction phases of their schemes along with managing the associated risk. This includes dealing with potential claims from neighbouring property owners such as rights of way and covenant issues, along with disputes concerning overage and options. I work with these clients to minimise the risk of such claims and to settle or litigate, when appropriate.

I help commercial landlords to manage their assets effectively by advising on service of the correct notices at the correct time, in order to enhance their bargaining position at times of renewal and lease end, and to reduce the risk of a less profitable tenant or void period. 

I help commercial tenants to protect the longevity and value of their business leases (or arrange an early exit) by advising strategically on the timing of notices such as renewals and break notices.

I advise, negotiate and, where necessary, litigate where disputes arise concerning the wording of deeds and documents such as leases.

Experience

1. Orchestrating a very quick settlement for a developer in a dispute concerning an option agreement with an ambiguous trigger clause in a £1m purchase, which allowed the development to proceed without further losses on site.
2. Acting in a multi-party dispute between a client, its landlord and the client’s previous solicitor in relation to funds exceeding £3m.  The case settled in the client’s favour.
3. Litigating a contested lease renewal claim on behalf of a tenant whose landlord had refused a new lease on the grounds of redevelopment but had failed to provide sufficient evidence of title.
4. Successfully litigating a commercial landlord’s claim for rent arrears defended on the basis of a surrender by operation of law.
5. Successfully defending a £1.4m claim from a commercial tenant for loss of business as a result of alleged breach of the quiet enjoyment provision and unlawful forfeiture.