With a strong commercial background and experience of working with major clients in Europe and beyond, Nick Smith is the newest Partner to join Stephens Scown’s specialist Real Estate team.
An experienced commercial property solicitor specialising in advising housebuilders, developer and landowners on the acquisition and disposal of strategic development land, Nick’s expertise also covers providing advice to landlords and tenants engaged in development projects. He acts for borrowers and banks on property development projects and has advised on the real estate aspects of numerous share and asset deals.
Speaking about his decision to join Stephens Scown, Nick said, “I was looking for an opportunity to return to a firm where there is a strong team culture, where I can support clients through collaboration with colleagues and develop long-standing relationships with key referrers.
“It was quickly obvious to me that Stephens Scown would be a natural home, especially with the firm’s consistent focus on delivering high quality service to notable clients.”
Headed by Toby Pool, Stephens Scown’s Commercial Real Estate team works to advise corporate property occupiers across a wide geographical area and whole range of sectors.
Toby says, “we advise a diverse range of business types and in sectors which include leisure and tourism, retail, food and drink, and professional services. Whether buying or leasing new-build property, or have plans for future development, we draw on the expertise of colleagues to provide complementary sector-specific advice.
“It’s been great to welcome Nick to firm, with his arrival further enhancing our existing offer, providing the legal reassurance that our clients have come to expect, and strengthening our position as a South West regional heavyweight.”
Nick has made the switch from the South East to the South West, having many connections in the region through friends and family.
Having set up his own business, Dettaglio, a specialist events company, negotiating supplier contracts in the European market, Nick returned to the legal industry and has worked on deals which included advising a client on the development of a new hotel and leisure complex in the Bahamas with a value of cUSD1 billion. He has also advised a client in relation to the acquisition and development of a high-profile residential property in London with a value of c£50 million, and assisted Camden Town Brewery with its relocation from Camden to its new state of the art brewing facility in Enfield.