Polly Streather

Polly Streather

Polly is a Senior Associate in the Construction team, specialising in advising on non-contentious construction projects related to UK-based real estate development.

She is experienced in drafting, negotiating and advising on JCT forms of building contract, professional team appointments, collateral warranties/third party rights and security documentation. Polly also has experience in carrying out due diligence and producing legal reports in relation to the sale, purchase, letting and funding of real estate assets.

Polly acts for a wide variety of clients in the construction sector, including property developers, funders, purchasers and sellers, as well as institutional investors and high net worth individuals. She also advises a number of contractors, architects, interior designers and development managers.

She has particular experience in the industrial and logistics, offices, student accommodation and high end residential sectors.

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Louise Irvine

Louise Irvine

Louise is a Senior Knowledge Development Lawyer in the Commercial Real Estate team where she keeps the team’s knowledge and resources up-to-date in relation to legal and market developments. Working as a fee earner for ten years before moving into the knowledge team, Louise has an excellent understanding of both real estate and the commercial challenges faced by clients.

She frequently provides legal training to all levels within the Commercial Real Estate team, alongside providing support on the wider skills needed by lawyers such as drafting, grammar and psychological safety. Taking pride in being approachable and responsive, Louise enjoys working with many teams across the firm and finding pragmatic solutions that allow clients to achieve successful transactions.

Louise has a strong interest in sustainability and provides training both internally and to clients on sustainability legislation and trends and on green lease drafting. This often sees her collaborating with clients and suppliers to work towards mutual net zero carbon goals. She also follows the latest legal technology trends and enjoys looking at how to eliminate risk and improve efficiency within the team.

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Anna Penn

Anna Penn

Anna is an Associate in the Commercial Real Estate team where she advises on a variety of real estate matters including commercial development, acquisitions, disposals and asset management. Her practice primarily covers the industrial and logistics, office and business space, mixed-use asset and retail sectors.

She represents a variety of clients including pension funds and other institutional investors, property developers and corporate occupiers.

Striving to always progress transactions efficiently, Anna is proactive and remains focused on her clients’ commercial goals. She keeps in regular contact with clients and provides clear and tailored advice in a friendly manner.

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Industrial and logistics

At Forsters, we work closely with clients who build, own and manage essential industrial and logistics assets.

Drawing on our extensive talent across Commercial Real Estate, Construction, Planning, Finance, Corporate and other related departments, we are committed to delivering smart, commercial and solution-oriented advice that helps clients stay ahead in this dynamic sector.

We recognise that industrial and logistics facilities are essential in powering resilient and efficient supply chains that deliver vital products and services to the entire population.

Through various economic cycles, we have assisted clients in their efforts to stay agile and prepared, target opportunities and to address risk. Our work is centred on future-proofing assets, ensuring they stay attractive to investors and occupiers and ensuring that our clients achieve optimal long-term results.

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Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan

Daniel is Counsel in the firm’s Corporate and Commercial team where he advises various stakeholders on all aspects of corporate transactions including mergers and acquisitions, fund raising, and joint ventures, as well as providing ‘day to day’ advice.

He has experience of transactions in various sectors and jurisdictions, with a particular focus on technology. Daniel deals with acquisitions and exits on deals worth several million to hundreds of millions, and he also acts for angel investors and start-ups on financing rounds. This includes working with clients in everything from artificial intelligence through to digital assets and micro-mobility. He also has experience in several other areas, such as distressed acquisitions, corporate real estate, and life sciences.

Daniel balances the commercial objectives of the deal with his role as a deal adviser, seeking to protect his clients but not prevent them getting where they want to be.

He is also a member of the firm’s Social Mobility Committee and the Working Parents and Carers network.

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Matthew Evans

Matthew Evans

Matthew is Counsel in the firm’s Planning team and advises on all forms of development, with particular expertise in large scale residential or residential led schemes. He covers the full range of the development cycle, from application review, to commenting at committees, the drafting and negotiation of associated agreements through to viability reviews, advice on the community infrastructure levy and final disposal of individual elements of schemes.

Matthew’s previous experience within local government gives him valuable insight, both into the nature of the work (and what local authorities are looking for from developers) and the processes involved in securing the delivery of development.

He also advises on highways matters, dovetailing the conclusion of the requisite agreements and advice within the client’s timetables for delivering the scheme in question.

Matthew’s advice focusses on a practical, pragmatic approach. The development process has become increasingly complex, with weight that the industry is expected to bear growing each year. In light of this, it is crucial to not only understand the nature of any new obligations but ensure that all parties are aware of what can and should (and importantly, what cannot be) secured.

He is also heavily involved in the firm’s Graduate Recruitment programme, he is a trainee supervisor and is involved in the firm’s mentoring scheme. In addition he is knowledge champion (Planning) and a board member of Baker Street Quarter.

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Daniel Steele

Daniel Steele

Daniel is a Senior Associate in the Commercial Real Estate team where he has developed a breadth of experience across a range of transactions and a variety of clients. His practice focuses on development projects, asset acquisitions and disposals, general landlord and tenant matters and real estate finance, with a particular focus on offices, funds and the industrial and logistics sector.

This often involves him working through the entire lifecycle of a property, from the initial purchase to the development of the property and then, lastly, on the client’s exit strategy, be that via lettings or the eventual sale of the property.

He advises a variety of clients including major landlords and institutional and developer clients in relation to assets across London and the UK. He also works closely with our Banking and Finance team, acting on commercial real estate matters for both borrowers and lenders relating to development or refinancing transactions.

Daniel is a member of our Industrial and Logistics team which aims to develop strategy and actions to further expand the firm’s presence and capabilities within the sector, for both existing and potential clients.

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Paul Grayson

Paul Grayson

Paul is a Senior Associate in the Commercial Real Estate team where he holds over ten years’ experience in the UK property industry. His practice covers the full scope of commercial real estate matters, but specialises in development, strategic land matters and real estate finance.

This often involves advising developers, institutional investors and private equity houses within the industrial and logistics and strategic land sectors. For all clients, Paul prides himself on his responsiveness and commitment to offering commercial and pragmatic advice.

A key player in our industrial and logistics sector, Paul led Forsters’ successful ‘Outside of the Box’ campaign which surveyed professional investors and developers in UK real estate assets about their experiences in competing for land, investment and occupiers while adapting to the current market shifts.

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Charlie Croft

Charles Croft

Charlie is a Senior Associate in our Commercial Real Estate team and offers a full service across the commercial property sector, with extensive experience in investment and development matters, as well as sale and leaseback deals.

He acts for institutional investors, developers, and joint ventures in a range of sectors, with a focus on industrial and logistics. His broad practice spans asset acquisition, development, management, disposal, financing.

Acting for developers, institutions, landlords, tenants, lenders and borrowers means Charlie can see the deal from all viewpoints and is able to identify key concerns and find commercial solutions to deal pinch points.

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Elizabeth Small

Elizabeth Small

Elizabeth is a go-to tax lawyer who has an enthusiasm for out-of-the-box thinking and has been described as ‘committed, technically sound’ and ‘pragmatic’.

As a Partner and Head of Corporate Tax, Elizabeth specialises in corporate tax, focusing on M&A and corporate reorganisations/restructurings. She advises large institutional clients on forward-funding transactions and high-end mixed-use developments. Elizabeth provides comprehensive guidance on various tax issues, including VAT, SDLT and CIS, ensuring all aspects of the transaction are considered for optimal tax efficiency. Additionally, she advises on the use of entrepreneur’s relief and employee incentives to further benefit her clients.

Elizabeth has particular expertise in dealing with enfranchisement matters. Her work includes acting for the Phillimore Estate and the Crown Estate, dealing with their enfranchisement claims and management issues arising from their property portfolios.

Her experience in commercial and residential property encompasses the full range of property types, including hotels, bars, care homes and student accommodation, as well as offices and prime residential property and she works with the whole spectrum of clients who have interests in property, including pension funds, international property developers and landed estates.

Elizabeth is an enthusiastic and engaged tax lawyer who loves her subject and enjoys getting the best commercial outcome for her clients. Thinking creatively, she brings a wide range of experience to the matters she works on.

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Victoria Towers

Victoria Towers

Praised for her ‘deep knowledge and understanding of the real estate sector’ Chambers 2024, Victoria is Head of the Commercial Real Estate team and Co-Head of Industrial and Logistics. She specialises in development, investment, acquisitions, pre-lets and complex forward fundings.

Ranked in all leading legal directories, Victoria provides her clients with a “high level of service and responsiveness’ Chambers, 2024. She likes to immerse herself in the deal and the sector she is working in. With extensive experience across the real estate sector, she has particular knowledge of industrial and logistics sector, acting primarily for developers and investors. Her involvement also extends to the office, restaurant and leisure sectors.

Victoria enjoys integrating herself into clients’ wider teams in order to fully understand their strategic thinking and objectives, ensuring that her advice is always clear and commercial.

At the forefront of industry trends, Victoria leads the Commercial Real Estate team’s sustainability offering, working and collaborating with clients to ensure their portfolios can achieve or exceed UK Government targets.

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Adam Jones

Adam Jones

Adam is a Senior Associate in the Commercial Real Estate team where he provides advice in respect of the full lifecycle of a property, from initial acquisition to development, asset management, financing and disposal. He acts for a range of clients including developers, investors, landlords and tenants.

He has a particular foundation in industrial property, offices and business space and retail, but also has experience working on hotels, student accommodation and social housing. This breadth of experience allows Adam to consider multiple perspectives on matters in order to effectively safeguard his clients’ interest and propose solutions where issues arise.

Working closely with clients, Adam understands specific requirements on each transaction so that he can assist in achieving the desired outcomes in an efficient way, whilst protecting the client’s position. He provides clear and commercial advice, and is proactive in identifying solutions that will allow transactions to progress smoothly.

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Alexandra Townsend-Wheeler

Alexandra Townsend-Wheeler

Alexandra is a Senior Associate in the Commercial Real Estate team with a broad range of experience covering the entire property lifecycle, including development, investment, acquisitions, disposals and management and real estate finance.

Her practice covers a range of property sectors including industrial and logistics, retail, offices and business space, hotels and student accommodation, where she has gained a deep understanding of each sector’s intricacies.

Having worked in real estate since 2007, Alexandra has developed a specialism in development work where she has advised many of the firm’s long-standing developer clients on acquisitions, pre-lets and eventual disposals. She prides herself on establishing and maintaining good personable relationships with her clients, making the effort to understand their businesses and how they evolve over time with a view to delivering targeted, pragmatic and commercial advice.

Alexandra is also a member of our internal sustainability group which overviews the strategy of our client ESG offering. Within this group, she has developed a particular focus on renewable energy.

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Magnus Hassett

Magnus Hassett

With over 25 years working in the London legal market, Magnus brings a wealth of experience to the Commercial Real Estate practice. As Group Managing Partner for Commercial Real Estate, and Co-Head of Industrial and Logistics, he has led on all manner of deals, with a particular focus on industrial and logistics, offices, life sciences and strategic land.

Across his career, Magnus has advised the full range of clients from UK institutions and US private equity to high net worth individuals, occupiers and leading developers. He is the client relationship partner at Forsters for clients including The Crown Estate, Canmoor, LondonMetric, H.I.G Realty and The Christ’s Hospital Foundation.

The expertise Magnus has developed over many years allows him to deliver fuss-free, commercial and cost-effective advice, while his particular knowledge of industrial and logistics ensures he is right up to date with the latest trends in one of the best performing real estate sectors over recent years.

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Alastair Laing

Alastair Laing

Ranked as a “Top Recommended Lawyer” in Spear’s 2023 Corporate Lawyer Index, Alastair is a Partner in the Corporate and Commercial team specialising in acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures and shareholder arrangements, group restructurings and corporate governance.

He has particular expertise in advising on the corporate aspects of private client matters and works closely with our Private Client team. His experience of advising on the corporate aspects of private client matters has given Alastair a unique understanding of the issues that can arise in this area, enabling him to provide practical and insightful advice to clients as to how best to resolve matters.

Alastair frequently advises on the design and implementation of corporate structures for wealth and succession planning purposes (e.g. family investment companies) as well complex restructurings (e.g. section 110 reorganisations).

He works with a broad range of clients, including high net worth individuals, wealthy families, family offices, entrepreneurs, owner-managed and family-owned businesses, trust companies and property developers.

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