Property Lawyer

Arora Group Head Office; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Job summary

The Arora Group in the UK is seeking an experienced commercial property lawyer to join its in‑house legal team. You will manage asset transactions across a diverse portfolio of shopping centres, hotels and commercial premises, leading leases and complex property matters with external advisers.

Ideal candidates will have strong private practice training, at least five years PQE, and the ability to work independently while engaging with senior stakeholders and nationwide counterparts.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor with English and Welsh practice.
• Strong experience in landlord and tenant work and asset management.
• Experience leading transactions and managing external advisers.

Responsibilities

• Drafting and negotiating commercial leases from landlord perspective across a varied portfolio.
• Managing acquisitions and disposals of investment properties and reporting on title.
• Advising on financing and related property matters including easements and development work.
• Handling property disputes with external counsel and dispute avoidance strategies.
• Coordinating construction documentation and project-related agreements.
• Working with internal teams and senior stakeholders to control spend and deliver outcomes.

Skills

Real estate law

Asset management

Landlord and tenant

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Construction contracts

Stakeholder management

Education

Qualified solicitor in England and Wales

Job description

The Arora Group

The Arora Groupisone of the UK’s largestfamily-owned businesses,leveragingsynergies across its specialist property,constructionand hotel divisions. Since 1999, the Group has built its standingbymanaging projectsmeticulouslyfrominceptionto delivery and beyond. Today, it owns and manages a diverse portfolio of flagship assetsvalued at more than£3bnacrosskeybusiness locationsin the UK and Ireland, partnering withsome ofthe world’s most recognised brands to deliver consistentlyhighlevelsofserviceand sustainable growth.RecentacquisitionsincludethelandmarkNovotelLondon West andMetro Building in Hammersmith,andthe iconic“MOJBuilding”at102Petty France,St James.Liveprojectsinclude theconstructionofthenew Sofitelhotel atDublin Airport,theredevelopment of the iconic Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa,andthe Group’sproposal for the expansion ofHeathrow Airport.

Role Overview

We areseekingan experienced,commerciallymindednon-contentiousproperty lawyer to join our in-house legal team.The core focus ofthe rolewillbe asset management of a large and diverse property portfolio,includingshopping centres,hotelsand other commercial premises.Therolewill also involveacquisitions,disposalsandotherbespokepropertymatters.

The role would suit a lawyer with strong private practice training who has experienceleading transactions,taking ownership of legalworkstreamsandworkingclosely withcolleagues across the business. AlthoughPQE is notdeterminative, weanticipatethat therole would suit a lawyer with at leastfive years’post-qualification experience who istechnicallyproficient,confident managing matters independently andexperiencedinengaging directly with counterparties and external advisers.

This is an opportunity to join a lean, high-performing in-house legal function at the centre of adynamic andsubstantialprivately owned property,hoteland development business, with direct exposure to seniordecision-makersand a broad range of commercially significant matters.

You would have a high degree ofresponsibilityandautonomy, working as part of asupportiveteam ofpropertyprofessionalsandreportingto senior managementin conjunctionwith theGroup’sGeneralCounsel.

Key Responsibilities

Asset Management

• Drafting and negotiating commercial leases, mostly from alandlord's perspective,across a varied property portfolio, including retail, leisure,hoteland office assets.
• Advising on and negotiating all manner of property agreements including:
  • Agreements for lease
  • Licences to assign
  • Licences for alterations
  • Deeds of variation
  • Deeds of surrender
  • Short-term occupation arrangements
  • Landlord and Tenant Act 1954exclusion documentation
  • Hotel and property management agreements
• Supporting asset managers and surveyors on day-to-day landlord and tenant matters.
• Providing pragmatic and commercially focused legal advice to internal stakeholders.

Acquisitions and Disposals

• Managing acquisitions and disposals of investment properties.
• Reviewing and reporting on title.
• Drafting and negotiating transaction documentation.
• Dealing with completion and post-completion matters.
• Supporting larger transactions alongside external counsel whererequired.

Financing and Other Property Matters

• Assistingon refinancing transactions involving the property portfolio.
• Reviewing Certificates of Title and related documentation.
• Advising on easements, rights of way,wayleavesand utility agreements.
• Supporting on planning and development-related matters whenrequired.
• Assistingwith drafting appointments of professionals and collateral warranty deeds.
• Supporting wider corporate transactions through property due diligence, titlereviewand management of property workstreams.
• Managing external legal advisers and controlling legal spend whereappropriate.

Property Disputes

• Supporting the management of a broad range of property disputes across the portfolio, including tenant defaults, lease interpretation issues, dilapidations, service chargedisputesand possession matters.
• Instructing and managing external counsel on contentious landlord and tenant matters whererequired.
• Advising internal stakeholders on dispute avoidance strategies and commercially pragmatic resolutions.

Construction

• Assistingwith the negotiation and management of construction and development documentation, including professional appointments, collateral warranties, pre-construction servicesagreementsand building contracts.
• Working closely with internal project,constructionand asset management teams, and managing external legal advisers whereappropriate.

Candidate Profile

Essential

• Qualified solicitor in EnglandandWales,withno less thanfiveyears’PQEor equivalent experience.
• Strong commercial real estate experience gained at a reputable regional, national or City firm.
• Significant experienceacting formajorlandlords,ideally includingowners of shopping centres.
• Excellent groundinginall legal aspects oflandlord and tenant work, with experience negotiating and completing a high volume of asset management transactions.
• Ability to take ownership of matters and managereal estatetransactions with little or nosupervision.
• Strong technical drafting and negotiation skills.
• Commercially minded, pragmatic andsolutions focused.
• Confidentdealing directly with senior business stakeholders,external advisersandopposing legal counsel.

Desirable but not essential

• Experience in one or more of the following areas would be helpful but is not essential:
• property finance work;
• property disputes work;
• construction law; and
• planning law.
• Previous in-house experience.

Compensation: Competitive salary