Stephen Lewis

Senior Partner

Stephen Lewis
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About

I specialise in all aspects of commercial real estate work, particularly in acquisition and disposal work, both freehold and leasehold, primarily in relation to the retail and leisure sectors and with general landlord and tenant matters. My additional areas of expertise include investment, secured lending, telecoms, development and portfolio management.

I am very passionate about real estate and the wider property market and have always enjoyed working collaboratively and positively with my clients, colleagues together with the other side and their professional team to ensure a positive outcome for everybody. The beauty and satisfaction of a property transaction is that in the main it is non-confrontational and both parties therefore have similar objectives to achieve a desired result with which they are both happy.

I also really enjoy the fact that I operate in such a fast moving and ever changing sector and have the opportunity to regularly help my clients to get their real estate deals done. I find it immensely satisfying on deals to be able to regularly see the buildings that formed part of those transactions as there is no doubt that this gives you a real personal connection to those properties.

I act for clients ranging from family offices, private banks, entrepreneurs, private investors (both onshore and offshore) and quoted companies to leading operators in the retail and leisure sectors .

I have always had a real interest in the leisure market whether it be restaurants, gyms, bowling alleys, cinemas or casinos and am a member and director of the Leisure Property Forum which is the leading industry body.

Outside of the office I am a keen cyclist and tennis player and a member of the annual Norwood Property lunch charity committee.

Contact Stephen

Experience

  • Advising J. P. Morgan International Bank Limited and Credit Suisse (UK) Limited, on their secured lending transactions covering both commercial and residential property, primarily in central London.
  • Advising Otium Real Estate on the purchase of the 96,163 sq ft Robin Leisure Park Wigan for £12.48m. The team also advised on the re-letting of the ex-Buzz Bingo unit on the leisure park. Otium re-let the 25,353 sq ft unit on a new 15 year lease to Club 3000 Bingo, the 3rd largest operator in the UK which has 20 bingo clubs.
  • Advising Aspers Casinos on deeds of variation, reversionary leases and side-arrangements with their landlords to put Aspers on the right footing for a post-pandemic world. These were all major assets with large institutional landlords. Premises include Westfield Stratford, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Newcastle.
  • Advising Beaverbrooks on all of its property work. Recent highlights comprise acquiring a number of sites including sites in the Metrocentre and Highcross Leicester. The team also advised on the acquisition of two Fraser Hart boutiques from The Anthony Nicholas Group in Croydon and Milton Keynes.
  • Advising a new client, Vitra Limited, and their Swiss parent Vitra International AG, a Swiss international furniture retailer on the acquisition of offices and a furniture showroom by way of a 10 year lease at £400k pa at the Tramshed, EC2A.

Expertise

Real Estate

Real Estate Investment

Leisure

Retail

Betting & Gaming

Real Estate Occupiers

Real Estate Law

Charities & Philanthropy

Our Team

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What our clients say

Stephen Lewis is an outstanding property lawyer and ‘gets’ leisure, which is important to a leisure specialist investor like us.

Legal 500, 2023
L500 7

What our clients say

Stephen Lewis is very knowledgeable about leisure, having been a key member of the leisure property forum for many years. Stephen also has a keen commercial mind and brings pragmatic and real world solutions to legal agreements.

Legal 500, 2022
L500 5 960 x 738

What our clients say

Stephen Lewis has a good general understanding of the parts of the law needed when buying and asset managing a commercial property investment. He knows how to liaise with the other side for best effect and takes the part of a trusted adviser as far as we are concerned.

Legal 500 2021
L500 4 960 x 738

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Fladgate has always been structured around deep relationships, creating true partnerships with clients.

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