Professional briefs: Law firm launches private landlord team; NW advisers work on Beechbrook Capital’s 4Most investment; and more

A PRIVATE landlord team has been set up by Forbes Solicitors in response to an increased demand for advice across the North West.

The team, which is launching a series of advice events for landlords, operates from within Forbes’ housing and regeneration department in Preston.

It can offer expert guidance with issues such as drafting tailored tenancy agreements and defending disrepair claims and other types of action brought by tenants.

It also deals with recovering possession of the property both at the end of the tenancy and in response to rent arrears and other breaches of tenancy.

Forbes has been acting on behalf of housing associations and local authorities within the social housing sector for the last ten years, during which time it has built up a national client base. It acts for more than 100 housing associations across the country, some with in excess of 70,000 properties, and has a large housing litigation team, comprising 11 solicitors.

Sam Gorrell, an associate in Forbes’ housing and regeneration department, said: “Our team are very experienced in this area of work and we are now expanding into the private rental market. We have the expertise to offer a quality service and will act exclusively for landlords, giving them the help and advice they need.”

The private landlord team is finalising an online service to landlords, which will be launched in the near future.

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A TEAM from Gateley, led by one of its Manchester-based advisers, has worked on a deal which saw specialist lender Beechbrook Capital on its investment in regulatory and credit risks analytics consultancy 4Most.

The deal sees Beechbrook complete the third investment in its UK SME Credit Fund, providing a combination of debt and equity to 4Most Group Holdings, a company providing regulatory and credit risk analytics consultancy to banks, credit card providers and other businesses with consumer credit exposure.

The Gateley team was led by Richard Cowan, banking senior associate, assisted by banking solicitor Abigail Sowden, and Birmingham-based Andrew Cowan, corporate senior associate, assisted by Corporate solicitors Hannah Fletcher and Matthew Lappin.

Mr Cowan said: “We were delighted to be able to support Beechbrook in bringing this investment into a high-growth and exciting business.  The combination of debt and equity provided by Beechbrook was tailored to the needs and strategy of the 4Most business and our banking and corporate teams worked together coherently and effectively to deliver the legal framework to support 4Most’s future plans.”

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MANCHESTER law firm Clarke Willmott has received the Law Society’s legal practice quality mark Lexcel.

It marks the sixteenth year running that the business has successfully secured the accolade having undergone a rigorous application and assessment process.

Lexcel is a nationally recognised accreditation which assesses law firms and in-house legal department and gives assurance that a practice meets high client care and business management standards.

Stephen Rosser, Clarke Willmott chief executive, said: “There is a lot of competition in the legal sector but our re-accreditation really singles us out as a reliable, professional and proficient firm. It demonstrates our commitment to client care and best practice and I would like to personally thank the whole of the team for their efforts in securing the accreditation.”