Practice area: Property

Penny Elliott

  • 21 September 2024
Penny Elliott

Penny is a Consultant in the Rural Land and Business team. She specialises in advising clients with multiple business interests on legal and strategic issues and her client base encompasses overseas investors, institutional property owners, landed estates and high net worth individuals.

Penny has an established reputation as an advisor to the owner/operators of five star and boutique hotels. Her ability to advise across property and business matters is at the heart of the service she provides to her clients in this sector.

She provides clients with a comprehensive service, often drawing together a range of legal disciplines to deliver a commercial solution. Penny is able to draw upon her experience as a private client lawyer to identify opportunities and solutions that will benefit her client’s private and commercial interests. She coordinates the requirements of her clients across the full range of legal specialisms and is noted by commentators for her understanding of how taxation and legal aspects relate to the business interests of her client. She has an exceptional understanding of the people behind the businesses.

Penny began her legal career advising farmers and landowners, she retains a great interest in the agricultural sector.

Christopher Findley

  • 21 September 2024
Christopher Findley

Christopher is a key advisor to landowners, farmers and rural land-owning institutions. He prides himself on providing clear advice in simple terms, offering solutions to both complex and everyday problems encountered by farmers, landowners and their families. He guides farming families through issues relating to succession to key assets and tax planning and, over 40 plus years, continues to guide the 3rd and 4th generation on their affairs.

Christopher has a particular specialism in advising on strategic land projects. He advises landowners on a wide range of option and promotion agreements to bring forward land for development and is experienced in advising groups of owners on equalising development gains and the property and tax intricacies of selling land for development.

He also boasts expertise in relation to farms and landed estates transactions, offering over 40 years’ experience in agricultural landlord and tenant problems and tenants as well as freehold owners on business restructuring for inheritance tax planning purposes.

Property

Two people smile while looking at a screen, sitting together in a modern indoor setting with bright lighting and wooden panel elements.

A new home is one of life’s most significant purchases, not just in terms of value, but also the potential stress, perhaps because of a difficult vendor, where the purchase depends on an associated sale or the myriad challenges in building a dream home from the ground up. Taking on additional property, be it a holiday home or a landed estate, whether for personal use or investment, is also a significant decision. When making the purchase for the benefit of the next generation, possibly a city flat or an investment property, this only adds to the importance.

Regardless of the type or purpose of a property, the purchase requires strategic and thoughtful legal advice. This starts with the transaction, from knowing exactly what is being bought, through to comprehensive analysis of the legal and practical issues – including everything from heritage property challenges or other planning restrictions, to dealing with tax liabilities, like Capital Gains Tax and Stamp Duty Land Tax. Beyond the transaction, it is essential to make sure the property is properly integrated into a family’s wider estate planning, thinking about appropriate holding structures and long-term protection for the family. From making an offer to putting the key in the door, there is a lot of work to do and our lawyers can help get it right.

Our property lawyers will take care of the property transaction process, whilst working alongside our Private Client team to ensure the purchase integrates into wider estate planning. Every property project is unique and we have specialist lawyers in planning, construction, rural and heritage property to advise on the issues that may arise.

How we can help:

  • Acting in the property or land transaction, from offer to completion
  • Residential property finance advice
  • Assisting with enfranchisement, the process by which a residential leaseholder extends a lease or purchases the freehold
  • Advising on residential development and restructuring, including drafting and negotiating construction and planning documents
  • Property management and alterations of tenancies
  • Specialist advice on purchasing stately homes and country estates, including listed property
  • Cross-border property transactions
  • Advising on how best to hold property, including the establishment of suitable structures
  • Property tax advice, optimising allowances and reliefs and mitigating liabilities as part of an overarching tax plan
  • Tax residence and domicile planning
  • Assisting with property management, development and alterations to tenancies
  • Advising on integration of property into wider estate planning
  • Acting on disputes related to property, including rights of way, service charges, nuisance and noise from neighbours, adverse possession (squatting) and between landlords and tenants
  • Advising on inheritance and trust disputes relating to property

Lucy Zaremba

  • 29 August 2024
Lucy Zaremba

Lucy is Counsel in the Real Estate Disputes team, she advises on a broad range of property disputes with a particular specialism in residential disputes and leasehold enfranchisement.

Lucy’s work includes a broad range of residential landlord and tenant litigation, including service charge disputes, recovery of arrears, section 20 consultation, breach of covenant issues, disrepair, termination of long leases and possession claims. She has particular expertise in residential property management and all aspects of contentious leasehold enfranchisement, right to manage claims and the rights of first refusal under the 1987 Act and has acted in a number of reported cases in this area.

She also acts on property contract disputes, including enforcement of sale contracts; creation and enforcement of easements and other property rights; boundary and other neighbour disputes; Party Wall etc. Act issues; nuisance actions; bringing and defending claims for injunctions to enforce or protect property rights and professional negligence actions concerning property.

Caroline Wild

  • 29 August 2024
Caroline Wild

Caroline is Counsel in the firm’s Real Estate Disputes team, specialising in all aspects of leasehold enfranchisement. With 20 years of experience, she is recognised for her technical expertise and practical approach.

Caroline has significant experience advising on lease extensions and freehold acquisitions, both on a voluntary basis and under the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 and the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993. She advises also on Right to Manage claims and the right of first refusal provisions under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987. In recent years, Caroline has been actively monitoring and engaging with the development of leasehold reform and in particular, the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.

Caroline’s diverse client base includes landlords and tenants, private individuals, landed estates, developers, property and management companies, housing associations, charities, and UK and international investors. This gives her an invaluable perspective on the priorities and challenges faced by all parties, enabling her to deliver tailored and effective advice.

Georgina Haddon

  • 29 August 2024
Georgina Haddon

Georgina is Counsel in the Residential Property team where she acts for both domestic and international clients on a variety of freehold and leasehold transactions, including acquisitions and disposals of prime London property, secured lending, management work, landlord and tenant advice.

Well versed in both single property transactions and large-scale portfolio investments and refinances, she is committed to exemplary client service irrespective of the size, value or nature of the matter.

She has a wealth of experience acting on luxury new build estates; both on the purchaser side for ultra high net worth investors and for large-scale developers. She has also travelled frequently to South East Asia, developing relationships in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Georgina takes a commercial and solution focused approach to her transactions. She is decidedly aware that all matters are unique, as are the people and businesses behind them and aims to deliver carefully tailored advice accordingly.

Georgina was named a “Rising Star” in Spear’s Property Index 2026.

Andrew Lane

  • 29 August 2024
Andrew Lane

As a former farmer, Andrew brings a valuable understanding of the issues facing agricultural clients. Ranked in The Legal 500’s Hall of Fame for Agriculture and Estates and Band 1 in Chambers UK for Agriculture and Rural Affairs, he is recognised for his strategic approach and extensive experience in the sector.

Working with individuals, families, landowners and trusts, Andrew has advised on some of the largest and most complex land transactions in the market, many involving significant tax considerations. His expertise is frequently applied to multidisciplinary projects, where he brings together specialists to help clients navigate complex legal and regulatory issues. He regularly works alongside colleagues in the Family, Corporate Tax, Private Client and Landed Estates teams.

Andrew also acts as a trustee for a number of large family trusts and landowning families and serves as a director of numerous family-owned businesses.

Helen Marsh

  • 29 August 2024
Helen Marsh

Hailed as ‘exceptional’ by The Legal 500 2024, Helen is recognised as a Top Recommended Lawyer in Spear’s Property Advisers Index and Spear’s 500. She is also ranked among the leading practitioners in Chambers High Net Worth Guide, which notes that Helen ‘makes proactive suggestions and leads transactions in the best interest of everyone’.

As a Partner in the Residential Property team, Helen has extensive experience advising on high-value conveyancing, secured lending and landlord and tenant matters. She also has particular expertise in residential and mixed-use developments, advising on set-up, legal structuring and drafting, and guiding clients through the strategic sale of development schemes.

Helen acts for a broad range of clients, including developers, investors, banks, trust companies and private individuals. She frequently coordinates multidisciplinary teams across the firm to deliver seamless and joined-up advice.

Helen is known for her proactive and practical approach, working closely with clients to understand their objectives and help transactions progress smoothly and efficiently.

Charles Miéville

  • 29 August 2024
Charles Miéville

Ranked in Chambers High Net Worth Guide 2025, Charles is noted as being ‘highly regarded by clients and fellow lawyers in the industry’ and described by clients as ‘calm, collected and highly knowledgeable’ and ‘a very capable individual that clients can rely on and trust’. In The Legal 500, he is recognised for his work with private individuals on residential acquisitions and disposals. He is also recognised as a Top Recommended Lawyer in Spear’s 500 2026.

As a Partner in the Residential Property team, Charles specialises in the acquisition, disposal and financing of prime residential property, primarily in Central London. He advises a broad international client base, including many clients based in the Middle East and the United States, and helps them navigate the complexities of English property law. He also advises on Sharia-compliant financing arrangements.

Charles values long-term client relationships and advises on a wide range of matters beyond individual transactions. Clients also benefit from his extensive network of professional contacts, including interior designers, architects, project managers and school advisers.

He has strong relationships with both selling and buying agents and regularly visits properties to gain first-hand insight into the assets involved. This enables him to provide informed advice throughout a transaction and helps build effective working relationships with agents and other advisers involved in the process.

Polly Montoneri

  • 29 August 2024
Polly Montoneri

Polly advises landowners on development and renewable energy projects, with extensive experience negotiating agreements for schemes ranging from small-scale developments to large and complex projects. She has a strong understanding of the sale and purchase of rural property, including commercial farms, country estates, rural properties and heritage assets. Polly also specialises in natural capital matters, advising landowners on biodiversity net gain (BNG) agreements and contracts for natural capital projects.

Polly provides commercial and practical advice, working closely with clients to protect their interests and identify potential issues at an early stage. She focuses on negotiating clear and effective agreements that help minimise risk and provide certainty throughout a project or transaction.

She works closely with colleagues across the firm, including specialists in Private Client, Tax, Corporate, Planning and Banking and Finance, to provide joined-up advice tailored to her clients’ objectives.

Recognised as a ‘Top Recommended Lawyer’ in Spear’s 500 2023, Polly is also a member of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), helping her stay up to date with developments in rural policy and the evolving rural economy.

Natasha Rees

  • 29 August 2024
Natasha Rees

Described as ‘standout’ and ‘very high profile’, Chambers, Property Litigation 2024, Natasha was elected to be Forsters’ Senior Partner in September 2022.

As a former Head of the Real Estate Disputes team, she has in-depth experience in all areas of property litigation with particular expertise in high value residential disputes and contentious leasehold enfranchisement.

Natasha advises and acts for landed estates, charities, and commercial landlords. She is also well known for work with leaseholders protecting their interests through the Courts and Tribunals. Most notably she acted for the leaseholders in their successful nuisance action against the Tate Gallery in the Supreme Court appeal known as Fearn and others (Appellants) v Board of Trustees of the Tate Gallery (Respondent). As an enfranchisement specialist she also acts for leaseholders in leading enfranchisement cases including the leading cases Aggio and Sportelli and for the Ministry of Defence in relation to proceedings relating to their UK property portfolio known as Annington Property Ltd v Secretary of State for Defence 2023.

Named an “Eminent Practitioner” in Real Estate Litigation by Chambers UK 2026 and selected for the Legal 500 UK’s Property Litigation “Hall of Fame”, Natasha is also singled out as a “Top Recommended” lawyer in Spear’s Property Index 2026.

Lucy Barber

  • 29 August 2024
Lucy Barber

Ranked in all leading legal directories, Lucy is also recognised as a ‘Top Flight Property Lawyer’ in Spear’s Property Advisers Index. Under her leadership, the Residential Property team was named ‘Residential Property Team of the Year’ at the Chambers High Net Worth Awards 2022 and a finalist in 2024.

As Partner and Head of the Residential Property team, Lucy specialises in all aspects of acquisitions and disposals of freehold and leasehold property. She is a member of the Enfranchisement team, acting for both landlords and tenants in connection with enfranchisement claims. Her work includes advising the Phillimore Estate and the Crown Estate on their enfranchisement claims and management issues arising from their property portfolios.

Lucy is also a specialist in advising on listed buildings.

Lucy acts for a variety of private individuals, developers, investors and lenders and is passionate about building personal and long‑lasting relationships. As a ‘highly respected senior practitioner’ who is ‘technically strong and has a positive, can‑do and commercial approach’, Lucy provides practical advice to ensure the best outcome is reached for clients.

Robert Barham

  • 29 August 2024
Robert Barham

Robert is described as “exceptionally knowledgeable and personable”. Praised for being efficient at progressing transactions, Robert is noted to be adept at foreseeing potential problems and resolving them before they develop into issues. He is recognised as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in the Spear’s 500 2026 directory as well as a ‘Recommended’ Property Lawyer in the Spear’s Property Advisers Index 2026.

An ‘exceptionally gifted lawyer’, who ‘has the law at his fingertips’, Business Today, Robert is ranked Band 2 in Chambers HNW Guide 2024 for Real Estate: High Value Residential, and in Legal 500 he is praised for his ‘wealth of experience in the purchase and sale of high‑value residential property and mixed‑use assets’.

With more than 30 years of experience, Robert is a Partner in the Residential Property team, specialising in the purchase and sale of high‑value urban and rural residential property and mixed‑use assets. He has extensive experience in dealing with both registered and unregistered freehold and leasehold purchases, contract races and auction transactions. Advising clients on the structuring and ownership of mixed‑use buildings and flat blocks is another specialist area for Robert, who also has unique experience in the law relating to London Garden Squares.

Robert is approachable, sensible and proactive, maintaining a constant focus on his clients’ best interests and on progressing transactions without delay. He prides himself on his adeptness at foreseeing potential problems and quickly resolving them.

Robert advises domestic and overseas clients, including individuals, trustees, charitable bodies and financial institutions.

Henry Cecil

  • 29 August 2024
Henry Cecil

Praised by clients for his ‘vast array of experience in high‑value acquisitions and disposals in the agricultural sector’ (Chambers 2024), Henry is a Partner and Head of Rural Land and Business.

A ‘Hall of Fame’‑ranked partner (Legal 500 2025), he is at the forefront of high‑value estate, farm and country house purchases, and other related property issues. He is very closely involved with succession and estate planning, along with tax matters. Henry lives and breathes the countryside, with a deep understanding of the issues and opportunities that rural landowners face. He has an extensive network that he is constantly developing to support his clients.

Henry’s depth of knowledge, experience and skill is complemented by his enthusiasm for client care, communication and building long‑term relationships. Maintaining a positive mindset, he is pragmatic and efficient, an effective problem‑solver who always aims to expedite transactions.

Henry is a team player who enjoys working alongside colleagues, other advisers and clients.

Sarah Cook

  • 29 August 2024
Sarah Cook

Noted by clients as “an outstanding partner” (Legal 500 2024), Sarah founded and leads the non‑contentious side of the Construction team and has particular experience in real estate developments. Ranked Band 2 in Chambers for Construction: Non‑contentious, she is acknowledged for her advice on contracts and other construction documentation for major development projects, including high‑end residential, commercial and retail schemes.

She has worked on a long list of landmark developments, including town‑centre and out‑of‑town regeneration; commercial, retail, sports, residential and mixed‑use developments; student accommodation; hotels; and infrastructure projects.

With over 25 years of experience in the construction industry, Sarah ‘always delivers’ (Chambers, 2024) and takes a hands‑on approach to projects. She is down‑to‑earth, personable, prides herself on excellence, and is committed to driving a matter forward. Sarah likes to develop strong relationships with her clients and maintain these over the long term.

Having joined Forsters in 1998, Sarah knows how to get the best out of her team and colleagues from across the firm. She frequently works alongside lawyers in the Commercial Real Estate, Residential Property, Rural Property and Private Client teams, among others.

Victoria Du Croz

  • 29 August 2024
Victoria Du Croz

Ranked as a Leading Individual in Legal 500 Planning 2025 and among the top practitioners in Chambers, Victoria is noted for her “brilliant legal mind” and her ability to simplify complex issues and provide pragmatic advice quickly.

Victoria heads the Planning team at Forsters and is one of few senior lawyers who specialises in representing both commercial and private clients, including major developers, institutional investors and public sector entities. She advises on all aspects of redevelopment and regeneration, from planning applications to planning appeals, judicial review, statutory challenges and disposal strategies.

Victoria has a strong track record in the redevelopment of central urban sites, including highly constrained developments.

She is known for providing robust, strategic and commercial advice, drawing on her extensive experience and detailed understanding of site-specific constraints and development opportunities. She has a longstanding interest in the built environment and the role planning plays in shaping places and communities.