Lindsay Felstead > Clarke Willmott LLP > Manchester, England > Lawyer Profile

Clarke Willmott LLP acts for registered providers and is also active on significant frameworks, both regionally and nationally. The team works closely with its property and development and the commercial property groups as needed. It also handles property disputes for which Kary Withers is a key contact. Oliver Smedley offers expertise in development matters and Helen Wittram specialises in transactions. Practice heads Lindsay Felstead and Vicky Kells are based in Manchester and Cardiff respectively.

Clarke Willmott LLP acts for registered providers on social housing matters concerning development, regeneration, construction, housing management and litigation. On the contentious side, the team provides ‘robust advice‘ on commercial lease issues, possession claims and fire safety matters. The ‘outstanding‘ Vicky Kells and Lindsay Felstead are the joint national social housing sector leads. ‘Stand out partner‘ Kate Silverman leads the London social housing offering. Kary Withers is the head of litigation, while Oliver Smedley leads the social housing property and development team.

At Clarke Willmott LLP, Lindsay Felstead and the ‘extremely knowledgeable‘ Vicky Kells jointly lead the ‘experienced, proactive, knowledgeable, practical‘ and ‘well-rounded‘ social housing team. It acts for both borrowers and lenders on social housing finance transactions, including those concerning development funding, private placements and aggregated bonds, as well as bilateral and syndicated facilities. Banking and finance partner Fraser MacRae advises on all aspects of secured funding.

Praised for its ‘fantastic knowledge of housing law’, Clarke Willmott LLP‘s team is known for its strengths in housing management, handling disrepair issues, possession and leaseholder disputes. A name to note at the firm is Lindsay Felstead, who is the national head of the national housing management team, and also a joint head of the national social housing group. The practice covers a wide range of matters for clients, such as those concerning disrepair, anti-social behaviour, possession, fraudulent sub-lets and other breaches of tenancies. Aaron Macauley, who heads up the wider North West property litigation team has acted on significant disputes for social housing clients.

Clarke Willmott LLP’s housing management focus makes it a strong choice for a range of registered providers operating across London and the  South East. Department head Lindsay Felstead also heads up the firm’s national Housing Management practice, splitting her time between the firm’s Manchester and Southampton offices. Felstead’s focus on advocacy work sees her representing clients in housing management disputes, while on the non-contentious side, she handles tenancy agreements, policy amendments, and advisory work for housing providers and property ombudsmen. Kate Silverman is the Southern lead for social housing development work, acting for various G15 registered providers, local authorities, and not-for-profit organisations on a range of ventures. Chidem Aliss focuses on commercial contracts and projects, as well as a range of IT and data protection concerns. Sarah Orchard’s extensive experience in ASB and Court of Protection matters make her a good contact for sensitive injunction orders. The team also includes associate Senga Howells and newly promoted partner Amy Peacey, who specialises in commercial matters.