“Getting the best results for my clients is still the best part of what I do. Even the most challenging scenarios have a solution just waiting to be discovered. I take great delight in those discoveries and making things happen.”
Michael at-a-glance
Michael was a partner for most of his 35 years at Colemans. Having been the Head of Commercial Property and Managing Partner of the firm, Michael has extensive business experience in addition to his wide ranging commercial property and development expertise. More recently Michael has taken up the role of Commercial Property Consultant within the firm and his considerable property knowledge and commercial nouse is brought to bear for the benefit of our clients. Michael is widely regarded as one of the most experienced and effective lawyers in the area. Very much the professionals’ choice among sellers, buyers, developers, landlords and tenants, agents and surveyors, Michael achieves winning results – even in the most complex of situations – and we are delighted to have retained his services as a Consultant.
Key expertise and experience
- Commercial and development property, sales and acquisitions: construction contracts and related appointments; conditional contracts and options; planning agreements and joint ventures.
- Acquisition and sale of businesses. Shares or asset transactions; property implications and pitfalls; sale and leaseback: change of use; landlords’ and mortgagees’ consents.
- Town and country planning. Planning restrictions; local government liaison; retrospective/breach of planning, indemnity insurance and planning agreements.
- Landlord and Tenant. Advice on rent reviews, break clauses, covenants, dilapidations; lease renewals and lease forfeitures. Preparing new leases, deeds of variation, licences to assign and underlet, licences to alter and surrenders.
Niche expertise
- Large-scale Commercial Property deals involving multiple parties.
- Complex Lease work – commercial and residential.
- Town and Country planning – commercial and residential. Michael’s early career experience as an in-house lawyer for local government – and his subsequent work for developers – gives him vital insight into how planning works – from the inside out.
Renowned for…
- Being direct, thorough and effective.
- Giving focused advice, providing solutions and achieving exceptional results – even in the most complex of situations.
- Understanding the needs and challenges faced by businesses.
- His local knowledge of the area and invaluable business relationships spanning agents, surveyors, architects, developers, bankers and many other professionals.
Career highlights…
- Heading up the acquisitions of some landmark headquarter buildings for clients.
- Notably exceeding expectations in sales of development of sites. For example, negotiating £1.5M overage in one instance.
- Acting for sellers in relation to 55+ unit sites to national developers.
Outside of work…
Michael lives in Maidenhead and is married with three adult children. He was a keen rugby player and, although no longer playing, still maintains a keen interest in the game. When work commitments permit, he trains at a local gym and is a keen and accomplished skier.