Bio
Darren is a Commercial Real Estate Partner.
Darren specialises in non-contentious real estate issues, with extensive experience in franchised property matters.
From emerging businesses to international organisations, Darren works with a diverse client base including institutional landlords, developers, investors, retailers, hospitality operators, leisure businesses, franchisors, franchisees, lenders, landlords, managing agents, and professional services firms, with particular expertise in advising businesses operating within the retail and leisure sector throughout the full lifecycle of their property and commercial strategies.
His areas of expertise include commercial acquisitions and disposals, portfolio management and asset strategy, land acquisition and site structuring, leasing strategy for landlords and occupiers, investment transactions and funding support, real estate aspects of corporate deals, and real estate franchising support.
Examples of Darren’s work include:
- Successfully structuring a complex real estate deal in a way that was more tax-efficient than the client expected, saving more than £500,000.
- Successfully facilitating the re-organisation of franchisee properties involving the assignment of more than 100 leases.
- Swiftly and successfully completing an acquisition of multiple properties from the landlords of a competitor who recently went into liquidation.
- Completing a multi-million-pound sale of property recently developed and let to a leading supermarket chain.
- Advising a national retail landlord on the asset management of a multi-site portfolio of shopping centres and retail parks.
- Acting for a developer on a mixed-use scheme comprising residential and retail elements, including advising on site assembly through option and promotion agreements, coordinating development funding, and leading on the pre-letting strategy for the retail units to satisfy lender requirements.
- Supporting a well-known franchisor in the expansion of its UK and international franchise network.