Sarah Stephens Legal Director

Sarah Stephens

Sarah Stephens helps clients to achieve their commercial goals. She works closely with clients to understand their needs and motivations in order to deliver what is required.

It is her proactive approach to deals and commercial decision-making that is appreciated by her clients. Sarah prides herself on her ability to establish good working relationships with clients and their other advisers, a key skill when working towards the same objective.

Sarah is focused in her work and, by maintaining good communication with her clients, instils trust and confidence in them. In the fast-paced property world, Sarah's pragmatic approach to the law ensures that clients receive clear and concise advice in order to meet the deadlines set.

"I have always been someone that likes a challenge and I embrace new experiences. As a people person, I really enjoy getting to know my clients and understanding their businesses.

"I am an organiser by nature, so like to get things done and to be on top of matters. I'm not afraid to make decisions and give straightforward advice to clients, rather than a long list of options."

Highlights

"The highlight of my job is completing a deal and knowing that I have been a part of it. I get a real sense of satisfaction when I walk past a development that I helped to get started or see a tenant opening a store for which I negotiated the lease. This is the aspect of property law that I enjoy the most - a successful end result.
"To get that end result, I always aim to make the due diligence and reporting as pain-free as possible, only highlighting what is really important to the individual client. Managing a transaction smoothly through to its conclusion and assisting a client to achieve their commercial objectives is something that I take pride in."

Clients

Listed investment and development companies, institutional property funds, large landlords and retail tenants, local authorities. 

Experience

• Instructed to act on the £100 million sale of an office headquarters in Central London;
• Negotiating substantial lease re-gears on behalf of the landlord to two large supermarket tenants;
• Instructed on behalf of a Local Authority in relation to the £23.2 million acquisition of a business park;
• Advising on a key letting of office premises conditional on extensive landlord's works;
• Leading the acquisition of a 10 property portfolio (with circa 150 tenants) for a property fund client;
• Dealing with the £109 million sale of five of the Centro buildings in Camden, London;
• Advising the buyer in relation to the £10.6 million acquisition of an industrial estate in Manchester;
• Acting for a property fund on the purchase of industrial premises for redevelopment.