The Team

 

 

Louise Drew – Head of Department - Solicitor

Louise has a Law Degree (LLB Hons) from Southampton University and trained as a solicitor with a small provincial practice in Coventry between 1993 and 1995. She qualified in September 1995 and specialised in residential property, wills, probate and general private client work.
Louise acts for a number of registered social landlords across the country in the acquisition of development schemes, sales and purchases, shared ownership and large scale disposals. She is knowledgeable in housing policy and is experienced in the drafting of leases, transfers, section 106 agreements and residential development packages. She is also experienced in Right to Buy/Right to Acquire, Homebuy and Mortgage Rescue transactions, Leasehold Schemes for the Elderly and staircasing transactions.
She has a good overall knowledge of Housing Association governance together with Industrial and Provident Law and the challenges facing registered social landlords from the public, private and regulated sectors. 
 
Sarah McCann – Regulatory Compliance Co-ordinator

Sarah joined Keynote Housing Group, which included Touchstone Housing Association, Midland Area Housing Association and Cygnet property management, in their Legal/ Company secretary team.  After seventeen years at H M Land Registry starting as an administrative officer in the Legal Department and worked her way through all aspects of land registration.
While at Keynote Sarah developed her knowledge about Housing Associations, Industrial + Provident Societies,  the way they operate, dealing with governance issues such as rule changes, transfers of engagement, licences and registration, policies and procedures. Sarah was also involved with regulatory matters such as use of Schedule 1, Section 9 consents, board management and TSA/HCA developments.
Sarah also advised the organisation on property acquisitions and disposals and the affects of agreements such as development agreements, funding agreements service level agreements and S106’s.
Sarah was responsible for researching the affects of new legislation on the business.  Through this she gained a good knowledge of Data Protection and Disability Discrimination issues.
 
Ben Judge - Solicitor

As both a Barrister and Solicitor, Ben has undertaken a wide variety of civil and criminal cases.  He now specialises in the resolution of commercial and civil disputes of all types - whether by negotiation or through the courts.
As an experienced advocate, Ben appears in court in relation to health and safety prosecutions and also undertakes related advisory work. He has also prosecuted many criminal trials as a Crown Prosecution Service agent advocate.
He has good experience in insurance related disputes (indemnity issues) and claims; professional negligence; personal injury litigation (defendant and claimant); clinical negligence (claimant and acting on behalf of the National Health Service Litigation Authority); property litigation; professional negligence, and regularly advised institutions, charities and Housing Associations.
 
David Lee - Solicitor

David graduated from Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa majoring in both Classical Civilisation and Legal Theory before going on and completing the post-graduate LLB degree.
David has worked in private practice in the City and as in-house legal counsel for two large corporations.  It is this wide ranging experience that helps him to tackle commercial matters from different angles and with empathy.
 
David deals with:

> All advice as to company law.
> Advice, negotiation and drafting of commercial and corporate documentation.
> Formation of all types of companies.
> Maintenance of all company secretarial duties inclusive of minutes, resolutions, statutory filings and liaising with Companies House.
> Commercial Contracts.