Expertise

Claire regularly deals with the acquisition, disposal, funding and management of real estate assets within the UK often through complex and tax-driven multi-jurisdictional property structures, financing and tax mitigation arrangements. She specialises in investment, acting for a number of landlords with large portfolios on all their management needs.

Conversely, on the corporate occupier side, she has built up a following of private equity companies and investment managers in dealing with their office moves. This allows her to see both sides of landlord and tenant transactions and enables her to cut through unnecessary arguments, saving time and money for clients.

Claire has a reputation for ‘getting the deal done’ and tenaciously leads teams through transactions, advising in many sectors including offices and retail. She has a wide range of clients including high profile individuals, family offices, private and public companies and banks.

She is also the Company Solicitor for the Carpenters’ Company, a City of London Livery Company.

Recent Experience

• Acting for the tenant on the pre-let of 40,000 sq ft office space at n2, the first in the latest addition to Land Securities’ Victoria portfolio.
• Purchase of mixed use midtown freehold (offices/retail) with 10 day exchange period which began on 23 December for circa £40m. The team worked tirelessly to hit the deadline over the holiday period.
• Sale of midtown office block for circa £13m again with 10 day exchange deadline successfully achieved.
• Refinance of iconic London mixed use building worth in excess of £400m.
• Completed all pre-lets on refurbished Central London property with main tenant having rent in excess of £2m.
• All pre-lets at an iconic mixed-use London building including a hotel, offices and retail, which included a lease with rental in excess of £10m per annum.
• The re-gearing of a hotel and retail lease to Travelodge with rent in excess of £4.5m for a 30 year term.
• Purchase of an office building subject to a number of leases on Grays Inn Road for c. £40m.
• Purchase of property for redevelopment in Soho Square for £29m.
• Acquiring a new 28,000 sq ft London HQ for a leading healthcare solutions recruiter.
• Purchase of a £50m Central London office block mid-Covid.
• Pre-let 30,000 sq ft offices with a rent in excess of £3m per annum.

Career History

Claire obtained a degree in Law – LLB (hons) from the University of Liverpool. She qualified in 2001 at Wollastons LLP (now Birketts LLP) and spent five years there as a Senior Associate. She then joined Rosenblatt Solicitors where she was a Partner for six years before moving to head up the Real Estate team at DWFM Beckman in 2012.

Claire joined Wedlake Bell in June 2015.