Laura Russell

Laura is an associate solicitor with over 10 years post-qualification experience specialising in leasehold enfranchisement and residential leasehold matters. 

She advises both leaseholders and freeholders/landlords on statutory and voluntary lease extensions, collective enfranchisement claims, rights of first refusal and related matters.  

Having worked across the South Coast, London, and the South West, Laura brings a depth of technical expertise and practical, approachable style to her work.  She is experienced in managing complex, high-value, and multi-party matters, and has supported clients and other lawyers in this technical area of law, and continues to receive referrals from former colleagues whose firms do not have their own specialist in this area of work.  

Laura has previously worked at a number of well-respected law firms, often as the ‘go-to’ residential leasehold specialist.  She often works for clients with properties in central London as well as the South Coast, and has worked for clients based all over the world.  

Areas of Expertise

• Lease Extensions (Statutory & Voluntary) – Advising on all aspects of lease extension claims including under the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993, including assignments of existing claims, as well as non-statutory lease extensions agreed between the parties outside the formal statutory process.  
• Collective Enfranchisement (Purchasing the freehold of a block of flats)  – Acting for leaseholder groups and freeholders/landlords of buildings comprising residential flats, in freehold purchase claims.
• Enfranchisement of Leasehold Houses (purchasing the freehold of your a leasehold house) - Acting for leaseholders or freeholders in connection with statutory claims to acquire the freehold of a leasehold house, or where terms have been agreed between the parties outside the formal statutory process.  
• Tribunal applications to determine the premium payable for lease extensions or freehold purchase matters where this cannot be settled in the standard statutory negotiation period. 
• Court claims where Landlords fail to serve Counter-Notices - in order to ensure your claim can proceed. 
• Lease Variations & New Leases – Drafting variations, additional demise provisions and licences to reflect alterations or revised terms. 
• Right of First Refusal – Assisting landlords to comply with their obligation to serve section 5 offer notices on leaseholders, or acting for groups of leaseholders to accept offers to purchase the landlord’s interest/freehold of their building. 
• Missing Landlord Claims – Overseeing tracing investigations, Court and Tribunal applications to ensure lease extension and enfranchisement claims can proceed where the freeholder/landlord cannot be found 
• Bona Vacantia freehold purchases – Helping leaseholders to buy the freehold reversion of your flat or leasehold house that belonged to a dissolved company and now belongs to the Crown.   
• Landlord & Tenant Leasehold Advice – Supporting both freeholders, landlords and individual leaseholders in better understanding their lease and their obligations under it.  

Notable Work or Achievements

• Acting as lead solicitor for the purchase of the freehold of 80+ units in East London 
• Acting in a missing landlord matter where the leaseholder needed to extend their lease or buy their freehold in order to sell their flat; successfully assisting in the tracing of the two missing freeholder landlords, enabling voluntary sale of the freehold to the leaseholder flat owners.  
• Achieved ALEP (Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners) membership for two previous firms – and working to establish the same membership for Biscoes. 
• Often praised for down-to-earth and friendly advice in this complex area of law.  

Beyond the Desk

Outside of work, Laura enjoys reading, films, sketching, painting, and renovating her cottage. She also loves paddle boarding and heads out whenever the weather allows.