Katie is a property lawyer who specialises in all aspects of leasehold enfranchisement, a niche area of residential property law. She acts for both landlords and tenants, advising them on a range of real-estate issues including the sale and purchase of residential property, all aspects of voluntary and statutory lease extensions, and freehold purchases and sales under the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 and Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993. Katie also assists clients with the sale and purchase of freeholds under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 (Right of First Refusal) as well as the acquisition of freehold ground-rent investment portfolios and statutory collective enfranchisement claims.
A keen contributor to many leading specialist publications, Katie is often approached to provide comment on the topic of leasehold enfranchisement. She is also a full member of ALEP (Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners). Most recently Katie has been asked to present a webinar on ground rent for a leading legal CPD provider.
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Thank goodness for professionals like Katie Cohen. Katie was very reassuring, incredibly efficient and responsive, and got the job done within the timescales required. I would highly recommend Katie.
N. King
Katie was professional, consistent, tenacious and extremely effective in her dealings with the Freeholder, she communicated efficiently and kept me informed during all key stages of the process.
N. Kumra
We are always confident having Katie Cohen in our corner. Katie’s advice is invaluable every time, she is always available and her response time is amazing.
The Legal 500 2022
Dealing with Katie is an absolute dream. The efficiency, knowledge & advice is second to none.
Avrohom Neumann
Expertise
- Property law
- Negotiation
- Investment properties
- Lettings
- Conveyancing in the context of enfranchisement claims
- Ground-rent acquisition
- Lease extensions
- Right to manage (RTM)
- Collective enfranchisement
- Right of first refusal
- Missing freeholder claims
- Freehold and leasehold
Experience
Freehold Sales & Purchases
- Successfully defended a freeholder client’s recoverable costs position at the Tribunal concerning a complex sale of the freehold on the South Coast under section 33 of the 1993 Act.
- Acted in the acquisition of three ground-rent portfolios simultaneously within 20 working days for the landlord client following successful bids at auction, involving prioritising, delegate reporting on title and working to tight deadlines.
- Assisted with the £17m acquisition of a complex collective enfranchisement in Grosvenor Square, W1, from the Grosvenor Estate and dealing with the putting into place of bespoke 999-year leases following completion.
- Undertook administrative restoration of a struck-off company to enable the lessees to acquire their freehold.
Lease Extensions
- Successfully argued the validity of a section 42 notice on behalf of a tenant client where the freehold was unregistered, involving a novel point of law concerning the interpretation of service upon and response by the landlord. Enabled the lease extension to progress at the premium stated in the section 42 notice.
- Coordinated a large group lease extension in Hampstead against a well-known property company.
- Handled at least 50 ongoing statutory lease extensions, collective enfranchisements and voluntary freehold sales and lease extensions for a prolific landlord client, involving main client contact for the various directors and advising on prospective ground-rent investments, the strategy for dealing with particular estates within their portfolio and the day-to-day management of files.
- Acted for both landlords and tenants in numerous tribunal applications for the determination of the premium and terms of acquisition in collective enfranchisements and lease extensions.
Leasehold Reform and Enfranchisements
- Acted on the £2m acquisition of the freehold under the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 on the Cadogan Estate, the £1.8m lease extension on the Grosvenor Estate, and the £3m collective enfranchisement against The Wellcome Trust simultaneously – developing extensive knowledge and effective strategy of acting against the PCL Estates to achieve favourable results for clients without recourse to the Tribunal.
- Acted for 141 lessees in Docklands to successfully exercise their right of first refusal under section 5A of the Landlord & Tenant Act 1987 and to purchase their freehold valued at £1m. Advised on the finance of the reversion of the non-participating flats through the creation of an investment consortium (LLP) comprising internal investors. Completed the transaction within six months and oversaw implementation of 999-year leases and overriding leases.
- Acted for numerous tenants against well-known PCL estates and property companies on statutory claims under the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 and the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993.
- Acted in the acquisition of the freehold for 100 lessees in Docklands who exercised their right of first refusal under section 5A of the Landlord & Tenant Act 1987.
- Acted in the acquisition of the freehold from missing freeholders both under the rules of bona vacantia and the Landlord & Tenant Act 1987.
- Acted on the Collective Enfranchisement of one of the most high profile and complex collective enfranchisements under the 1993 Act. This involved the re-structuring of the and transfer of title amongst other things
Middle East
- Advised a Middle Eastern Ruling family in respect of a freehold claim of one of their Prime Central London residences under the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 with an estimated freehold value in excess of £30 million.
- Advised a Middle Eastern Ruling family in respect of a freehold claim of one of their Prime Central London residences under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993. The case has involved re-organising the client’s building from a legal and title perspective in order to enable a freehold claim to progress. The claim will cost in the region of £55 Million and one of the most complex collective enfranchisement claims attempted.
- Advised ultra-high-net-worth Middle Eastern property investors with numerous short lease flats in Prime London and working alongside our experienced residential conveyancing team to draft the appropriate specialist clauses within the sales contracts dealing with the service of the relevant notice to initiate the claim, drafting the often complex section 42 notices and the assignment of the benefit of those claims through to completion. Premiums ranging from £500,000-£10 million.
- Assisted numerous Middle Eastern ultra-high-net worth individuals and companies alongside their buying agents, mortgage advisors, real estate lawyers both within the UK and other jurisdictions as well as their representatives to advise on the leasehold enfranchisement aspects of their residential portfolios and initiating claims within all the Prime Central London Estates, namely Grosvenor, Portman, Howard de Walden and Cadogan Estates.
- Acted alongside a real estate lawyer on the acquisition of a 2 year lease for a Middle Eastern property investor in Mayfair within the Grosvenor Estate and the initiation of a complex statutory lease extension claim comprising a complex title structure necessitating the service of 4 different parties and a complex valuation exercise alongside a high experienced valuer to apportion the relevant claim. Working alongside a specialist residential property litigator within the firm and a KC at Chambers at the First-tier Tribunal and achieving a substantial saving on the ultimate premium of £12 million from the counter-claimed £25 million.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Winner of Solicitor of the Year 2024 at the Enfranchisement and Right to Manage Awards.
Recognised by The Legal 500 for Residential Property (2021-2024)
“Katie Cohen is very knowledgeable in leasehold reform and very conscientious in her work.” The Legal 500 2024
“Very knowledgeable and capable. Katie Cohen’s depth of knowledge and proactive working ensures clients get the best results.” The Legal 500 2023
Finalist for ‘Solicitor of the Year’ at the ERMAs 2021
“We are always confident having Katie Cohen in our corner. Katie’s advice is invaluable every time, she is always available and her response time is amazing.” The Legal 500 2022
Highly Commended Young Professional of the Year at the Enfranchisement and Right to Manage Awards 2013
Honorary Consultant for the Federation of Private Resident Associations (FPRA)
Career
Katie qualified as a solicitor in 2007. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2017, she worked at the following firms:
- Bircham Dyson Bell
- Child & Child
- Howard Kennedy