What is your area of expertise and business specialty?
I am a property solicitor and I specialise in all areas of non-contentious property work, that includes: preparing properties for development, commercial leases, lease extensions and high end residential conveyancing.

Tell us a bit about you and your business
I work through Keystone Law, a grouping of over 300 senior lawyers. I joined Keystone law after I had my son, as I needed to work more fl exibly than most conventional law practices allow. This gives me the flexibility to concentrate on my clients without worrying about the commute or management meetings and whilst still having the backing and support of a top London law firm. It also allows me the flexibility to support businesses in other ways: I am also branch leader for the Family Network East Surrey, an organisation that provides free networking opportunities for small businesses that run their business around other family commitments and provides affordable workshops to business owners. I run networking events every month in Coulsdon and Ewell and a workshop or showcase in Merstham.

How did you get into your chosen career and why?
If I’m honest I fell into becoming a solicitor, when I finished my degree (PPE, Balliol College, Oxford) I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, (other than I didn’t want to study any more), so I took up a clerical job in a law firm and found I actually loved the law so made a career out of it (and then spent a further 4 years studying by distance learning to qualify!)

What do you enjoy most about what you do?
I love being part of the client’s team and enabling them to achieve their dreams, whether moving to their dream property or moving to much more suitable business premises, I am experienced enough to know when something is a problem and when we can work around a solution and offer cost effective solutions where I can. A solicitor should never get in the way of a deal, but sometimes the advice is not what a client wants to hear! I always try to approach problems from the point of view of the solution, so that hurdles can be overcome. Good advice is always the best foundation for the future and getting to know my clients and their individual business needs enables this advice to be focused on what is actually important to them!

What makes your business stand out?
I am available to my clients and I always give my mobile number. I take time to understand my client’s needs and I draft my documents and reports accordingly.

Examples of some of the highlights of my experience over the course of my legal career include:
• Acting for a residential developer in relation to the acquisition of a former distribution centre for mixed-use development including 328 homes, a care home and commercial units.
• Acting for an older-living developer in relation to the incorporation of its scheme into the complex redevelopment of a town centre in the Midlands.
• Acting on the redevelopment of Bolton Market Hall including securing vacant possession and negotiating all pre-lets.
• Acting for a transport company dealing with the property aspects of corporate acquisitions including reporting on potential environmental liability and dealing with the acquisition of alternative premises.
• Acting on the disposal of a portion of a prestigious high street in central London which comprised a mixture of retail, secured tenancies, long residential leases and ASTs.
• Acting on the demerger of a property company following the death of one of the former business partners.

Keystone Law
48 Chancery Lane
London
WC2A 1JF
020 3319 3700
Eleanor.Richardson@keystonelaw.co.uk