Jim advises on all aspects of commercial property and maintains a particular interest in commercial and residential developments. He regularly acts for landlords and tenants in the negotiation of leases for retail, office, industrial and hotel accommodation, as well as advising on the management of such properties, including the negotiation of rent reviews and lease renewals. Jim has advised both GB and US funds on the proposed acquisition of Northern Ireland loan portfolios. He is also well versed in leading due diligence exercises, having been involved in the financing of various major Northern Ireland property assets by GB and NI banks.
- Commercial, industrial and residential property
- Landlord and tenant
- Asset purchases and company takeovers
- Property due diligence for banking and finance
- Advised Titanic Quarter Limited in relation to its development opportunity at Queens Island Belfast, currently the foremost waterfront development in the UK. This has included leading teams advising on the following developments:
- The Abercorn Residential/Retail/Hotel complex
- The Gateway Offices complex
- The PFI project for the construction of the new Belfast Metropolitan College
- The new Public Records Office for Northern Ireland
- The landmark signature building Titanic Belfast, which opened in 2012 on the centenary of the loss of the S.S. Titanic
- The Titanic Studios, the location for filming of the Game of Thrones series
- Titanic Exhibition Centre
- The boutique hotel forming part of the original Harland and Wolff drawing offices
- The release of 475 apartments at the Abercorn Residential complex
- Acted for Allen & Overy and Baker McKenzie in the negotiation of their respective office leases in central Belfast, providing both organisations with some general guidance on the setting up of their respective Northern Ireland operations
- Acted for various GB investors in their Northern Ireland acquisitions, including for Intu Properties in their acquisition of Sprucefield Retail Park, for Threadneedle Investments in the purchase of a major office development in central Belfast, and for Scottish Widows in its purchase of Tescos Newry, the largest Northern Ireland property transaction of 2013.
- Recognised for expertise in Northern Ireland Business Tenancies legislation and commercial lease rent reviews and has lectured on these subjects to the RICS in NI.
- Recognised as a leader in Northern Ireland Real Estate in the Legal 500 (a “joy to work with”, according to the 2015 edition) and in Chambers UK.
| 2017 | Keystone Law (NI) | Senior Solicitor |
| 1990-2017 | Cleaver Fulton Ranking | Assistant Solicitor, Associate then Partner and Director |
| 1989-1990 | Collyer Bristow | Assistant Solicitor |
| 1989 | Qualified as a solicitor in England & Wales |