Holly Taylor
Holly Taylor helps clients to achieve their business aims by meeting acquisition targets, so they can get in and start trading as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Holly has an intuitive understanding of the need for clients to acquire stores or commence new operations, but at minimal risk and with fair and reasonable documentation that allow them to operate the way that they want to. By driving processes that get to the crux of commercial and strategic objectives, Holly helps clients get the most of the real estate that is crucial to their business.
Holly works with a number of large retailers on every day lease and other occupational real estate issues, including managing portfolios for Pub chains. She also has extensive experience of large scale and fast-paced projects, such as acquisition, relocation or disposal programmes, and innovative new ventures.
Her specific expertise includes working closely and collaboratively with our wider Commercial and Corporate teams when work streams overlap and often under tight timescales, such as for concession agreements and refinancing certificates of title.
Energy development is also a specialism for Holly and she has worked with a number of sector clients in relation to projects such as onshore wind generation.
Holly enjoys the organisation and process of what we do, the feeling of checking things off the list. Along the way, our knowledge of that process means that we can make suggestions that might save the client time or mean they can complete something more cost-efficiently.
The world Holly works in is very different from, for example, that of litigation focused lawyer when you are always fighting against someone. The negotiation stage in particular is very collaborative and everyone you're involved with is trying to achieve a common goal on a deadline, which helps forge some great and really valuable working relationships.
Highlights
Working on the recent Argos/Sainsbury's arrangements for the Argos digital stores. It was a demanding project, which had to be done in a very short time frame while managing a number of different stakeholders (which is always more challenging than having to only keep one contact informed!). However, it also meant that it was a great team effort and there was a real feeling of working collaboratively and closely across the different teams involved from all sides of the deal to make sure we got the right result for everyone.
Holly enjoys working alongside clients when they go on acquisition drives. Holly is excited by the challenge of having to perform and achieve their deadlines quickly, efficiently and on such a large scale. For example when a client acquires 14 properties in one go, is invariably exciting and it's great to see them over the line.
Clients
Retailers, energy providers (e.g. windfarm operators) and public house property portfolios.
Experience
Advising on the property arrangements for Argos' innovative deal with Sainsbury's to launch a series of Argos digital stores within a number of their UK supermarkets, including operational and logistics aspects.
Advising Kennedy Wilson on due diligence for a £127 million refinancing facility with GE Real Estate Loans Limited. The due diligence was completed under an extremely tight timetable, during peak holiday seasons and involved finding unique commercial solutions to title issues due to rigid bank requirements.
Acting for a number of large retailers on leasehold acquisitions (including high street stores and new build developments), lease renewals and lease re-gears.
Dealing with assignments and surrenders of leases.
Advising on the property elements of insolvency process when a retailer enters into administration or liquidation.
Working closely alongside client teams during large scale, ambitious and deadline driven acquisition programmes.
Advising energy developer clients in relation to the property aspects of onshore wind generation projects.