Fraser MacRae > Clarke Willmott LLP > Cardiff, United Kingdom > Lawyer Profile

Led by the ‘knowledgeable and personable’ Fraser MacRae , Clarke Willmott LLP provides ‘responsive, customer centric and cost effective’ advice to lenders and borrowers on property-related financings. Much of this work centres around the social housing sector, with MacRae adept at advising on bilateral and syndicated funding, as well as private placements involving institutional investors. Bethan Evans is also key to the work in the social housing space, as well as providing ‘invaluable support’ to lenders and borrowers on development and project finance, as well as third sector lending and education finance.

The ‘brilliant’ team at Clarke Willmott LLP provides a ‘very efficient’ service to a range of stakeholders on housing management, property and development matters, as well as its core specialism in relation to social housing finance. Drawing upon a ‘great deal of knowledge of lender requirements’, team head Vicky Kells  is effectively able to advise housing associations on the relevant due diligence required for securing loan facilities, as well as in the context of private placements. Drawing upon his expertise of acting for both lenders and borrowers, the ‘very knowledgeable and personable’ Fraser MacRae has an excellent perspective of what is acceptable to both parties when negotiating loan facilities (bilateral and syndicated) and bond issuances. Outside of the financing arena, commercial property partner Clare Gregory handles a considerable volume of transactional property work in the space, including on acquisitions and disposals, as well as development work.

Clarke Willmott LLP has a specialist team of commercial property and banking lawyers who focus on social housing finance. The group advises a number of funders in the social housing sector, acting in a variety of funding arrangements and development funding. The team acts for both borrowers and lenders, and took on new clients in 2022, including Tai Caron on the borrower side. Both practice head Vicky Kells and Fraser MacRae specialise in the social housing finance sector and bring knowledge of the Welsh market to the firm. The securitisation team provides further support, handling property charging and due diligence for stock transfers. Senior associate Charlotte Lord is taking a lead role in the team’s work for Metropolitan Thames Valley.