Expertise

Frances joined the firm in 2017, having qualified in 2012.

Frances is leading on multiple transactions in the energy sector, including solar farm, wind, battery and hydrogen developments and electric vehicle charging point projects as she helps clients achieve their net zero targets.

Frances has significant experience in general landlord and tenant law, the sale and purchase of land for development, overage, easements, promotion agreements and business and share sale and purchases acting for developers, investors, landowners, institutional landlords and tenants.  Frances regularly leads on large projects supervising more junior members of the real estate team.

At her previous firm, Frances acted for household name retail clients dealing with new and existing build acquisitions, renewal leases, licences, disposals and general estate management work.

Examples of Frances' recent experience include:

• working on the SGN Energy Futures hydrogen project, H100 Fife (a world-first green hydrogen to homes heating network).  Frances drafted a suite of documents for use on hydrogen developments across the UK, including playbooks and explanatory guidance notes and provided training to the client team to allow for swift progression of new instructions from inception to completion and consistency across the portfolio;
• dealing with a two year asset swap project involving the transfer of 29 sites between the property development and disposal arms of two utility companies, including documenting the agreed position on environmental contamination, gas holder demolition, releases of rights, new easements, protection of regulated kit and future development and resulted in the completion of over 240 documents.  The client specifically praised the "unique combination of common sense, strong relationships, project management skills, excellent client management and exceptional lawyering"
• dealing with the sale of part of SSE's former head office for residential development, including overage, operational assurance provisions relating to noise, blast and fire damage, explosion and vibration, relocation of operational kit, remediation and preservation of rights
• acting on the sale of a multi-phase mixed use 170 acre site for residential development and employment land, involving overage and pre- and post-completion enabling works;
• dealing with the roll out of hundred of electric vehicle charging station leases across a pub portfolio including entry into a pre-emption agreement protecting over 500 additional sites.