Rachel Jones

Rachel is a highly experienced commercial property lawyer, with more than 20 years’ experience advising businesses, lenders, investors and individuals on a wide range of real estate matters.

She helps clients navigate property transactions with a clear understanding of both the legal detail and the wider commercial picture. Her work spans real estate finance, acquisitions and disposals, auction sales, landlord and tenant matters, and the acquisition and disposal of freehold and leasehold property.

Rachel also advises on complex development projects, supporting clients from site acquisition through to the onward sale or letting of completed developments. This includes dealing with easements, planning and highways agreements, drainage adoption and other issues that can arise during the development process. She has particular expertise in property refinancing.

Before joining Harper James, Rachel was Head of Real Estate at Freeths. Since qualifying in 2004, she has advised companies, banks and other lenders, property businesses, investors and private clients on transactions across the leisure, retail, hospitality and development sectors.

Rachel was named South East London Panel Lawyer of the Year at the Lloyds Bank Business Awards in 2017.

Rachel works closely with clients on complex transactions, providing practical strategic advice and finding solutions to issues that could otherwise delay or disrupt a deal.

Work highlights include:

• advising on the refinancing of high-value property portfolios for prominent clients, including acting as a panel lawyer for major institutional lenders.
• advising a corporate developer on a site acquisition and associated real estate and development finance, including resolving issues involving rights of light and squatters.
• supporting tender exercises for large-scale developments, including a scheme with a gross development value of approximately £52 million and more than 100 sales.
• acting for a leading construction group with turnover of approximately £242 million on a site acquisition involving a simultaneous sale to a Registered Provider and a subsequent joint venture for the development of the scheme.