Leo Skinner
Partner, Head of Drinks, Hospitality & Leisure | Milton Keynes
"I have worked with Leo for some years now and would recommend him as a recognised specialist in the leisure and licensed trade sector – he gives direct and commercial advice and has steered me through some complex transactions – a proactive lawyer prepared to work hard to secure the best result possible for his client."
Call: 0345 271 6755 Mobile: 0778 926 8872
About Leo
Leo is a highly experienced real estate lawyer, with a specific focus on the hospitality and leisure industry.
His expertise covers not only complex development projects, acquisition and disposal of portfolios of property and general estate management work, but also extends to regulatory and commercial points of particular concern to the sector.
His client base is national, reflecting the spread of operators across the country.
Leo is listed as a Recommended Lawyer in the Legal 500 (2022 edition).
Contact Leo
Call: 0345 271 6755
Mobile: 0778 926 8872
Notable work & expertise
Leo has acted for many years on acquisition and disposal programmes for major pub, restaurant, bar, late night venue, and hotel operators, heading up the firm’s leisure team since 2002. As a result he has many connections within the industry and substantial knowledge of the issues that businesses in the sector are likely to come across. Leo regularly advises on widely ranging real estate transactions within the sector, frequently involving commercial contract points and often extending to issues such as TUPE.
Cases
- Recently acted on the real estate side in respect of the restructuring of three national restaurant companies
- Advising leading multiple managed house late night venue and restaurant and pub operators on ongoing leasehold and freehold acquisitions
- Acquisition of hotel development sites whether freehold or leasehold
- Disposal or acquisition of tenanted and/or managed pubs, bars, restaurants (both branded and unbranded) and hotels; dealing with all relating issues including the sale and purchase of stock and F&F, employees (including the application of TUPE), VAT (including TOGC considerations), Capital Allowances and warranties
- Acquisitions of distressed business assets out of pre-pack administration or sales from Administrators
- Refurbishment and extensions
- Property aspects of securitisations/refinancing of managed or tenanted public house and/or restaurant estates eg refinancing of 1,000 public house estate
- Negotiating Section 106 and Section 278 Agreements and other statutory agreements, electricity sub-station leases and deeds of easement relating to servicing
- Dealing with relevant aspects of planning and construction law in development/re-development cases
- General estate work; licences to assign and for alterations; release of restrictive covenants and advice on general estate management issues
- Sale and lease-back and options to take premises in new developments
- Rights to light and other impediments to development
- Granting tied tenancies for tenanted pub estates
Testimonials
KA
“I have worked with Leo since April 2021 and he has provided me with inciteful and commercial support which can only come from someone who understa...
Kamran Aziz, Managing Director
RedCat Pub Company
PD
“Leo and all of the team at Freeths are undoubted leisure sector specialists and are both commercial and pragmatic in their advice. They are able...
Phil Derbyshire, Group Property Director
The Restaurant Group Plc
JD
“We have worked with Freeths for well over a decade for matters concerning our wine business and wine bars and restaurants, and are consistently im...
James Davy, Chairman
Davy’s
TD
“Leo and his team at Freeths act for BKUK Group Limited and have done so since the inception of the business in its current form in 2017. I have ha...
Tim Doubleday, CFO
BKUK Group Limited
JL
“I have used Freeths for many years now, both on property and transactional matters. There are many reasons that I have used them so much, but top...
John Leslie, Non-Executive Director
Oakman Inns and Restaurants
MA
“Leo and his team at Freeths act for The Big Table Group. I have had a longstanding relationship with Leo including my present role as Director of...
Matt Ainger, Property Director
Big Table Group
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