Construction Solicitor

at Kaslers Solicitors LLP

    

Jonathan has worked with commercial property and land development work since qualifying, and acts on commercial, residential and mixed use developments throughout south east London and Kent.  As part of this, Jonathan deals with development agreements and related construction issues.

He also regularly deals with commercial leases on behalf of clients in South East England.

Originally from County Durham, Jonathan attended the University of Durham before qualifying as a solicitor in 1990.

Having previously worked for commercial law practices in the South East and Midlands and for the legal department of Tarmac Quarry Products, Jonathan has amassed skills acting for a wide variety of commercial clients from individuals through SMEs to PLCs.

Ethos

Much of the satisfaction that Jonathan gets from practising in the law arises from the teamwork that is built up with clients and their professional advisers. Quality of work and working to a commercial time frame are musts, but it is the ability and willingness of the solicitor and client to collaborate effectively that produces the best outcomes for a client.

Recent Experience

Jonathan has recently dealt with the sale of an eight story office block for a multinational manufacturing company to a property developer; the documentation contained a complicated overage arrangement relating to various planning options available for the property. Jonathan’s commercial understanding of the reasons for the sale and appreciation of the interaction between the overage and planning arrangements enabled the relationship between the client, their surveyors and solicitor to be much closer than is often the case leading to an improved outcome for the client.

A developer recently instructed Jonathan on the acquisition of a sizeable development site in Kent. The site was to be acquired from the local education authority (LEA) with the purchase being dependent on planning permission being obtained suitable for residential development. The LEA required overage provisions to be included in the contract. Two thirds of the site was then to be sold on to two housing associations, with those transactions also to be dependent on planning permission being granted and including overage provisions reflecting those in the LEA agreement. All three completions were to take place on the same date and with a section 106 planning agreement for the site. Jonathan’s experience enabled this web of transactions to be completed in accordance with the client’s requirements.

Other activities

In his spare time, Jonathan is a director of the Bow Arts Trust, an Arts Education Charity which aims to improve the life chances of children in the East End (one of the most depressed areas in Europe) by using art activities to increase their educational attainment in various academic activit ies.  Last year the Trust helped over 10,000 children in the East End.

For help and advice contact Jonathan direct on 07920 492 117 or by email jmw@kaslers.co.uk