The Arora Group 

The Arora Group is one of the UK’s largest family-owned businesses, leveraging synergies across its specialist property, construction and hotel divisions. Since 1999, the Group has built its standing by managing projects meticulously from inception to delivery and beyond. Today, it owns and manages a diverse portfolio of flagship assets valued at more than £3bn across key business locations in the UK and Ireland, partnering with some of the world’s most recognised brands to deliver consistently high levels of service and sustainable growth. Recent acquisitions include the landmark Novotel London West and Metro Building in Hammersmith, and the iconic “MOJ Building” at 102 Petty France, St James. Live projects include the construction of the new Sofitel hotel at Dublin Airport, the redevelopment of the iconic Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa, and the Group’s proposal for the expansion of Heathrow Airport. 

Role Overview 
We are seeking an experienced, commercially minded non-contentious property lawyer to join our in-house legal team. The core focus of the role will be asset management of a large and diverse property portfolio, including shopping centres, hotels and other commercial premises. The role will also involve acquisitions, disposals and other bespoke property matters. 

The role would suit a lawyer with strong private practice training who has experience leading transactions, taking ownership of legal workstreams and working closely with colleagues across the business. Although PQE is not determinative, we anticipate that the role would suit a lawyer with at least five years’ post-qualification experience who is technically proficient, confident managing matters independently and experienced in engaging directly with counterparties and external advisers. 

This is an opportunity to join a lean, high-performing in-house legal function at the centre of a dynamic and substantial privately owned property, hotel and development business, with direct exposure to senior decision-makers and a broad range of commercially significant matters. 

You would have a high degree of responsibility and autonomy, working as part of a supportive team of property professionals and reporting to senior management in conjunction with the Group’s General Counsel. 
 
Key Responsibilities 
 
Asset Management 

• Drafting and negotiating commercial leases, mostly from a landlord's perspective, across a varied property portfolio, including retail, leisure, hotel and office assets. 

• Advising on and negotiating all manner of property agreements including:  

• Agreements for lease 

• Licences to assign 

• Licences for alterations 

• Deeds of variation 

• Deeds of surrender 

• Short-term occupation arrangements 

• Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 exclusion documentation 

• Hotel and property management agreements 

• Supporting asset managers and surveyors on day-to-day landlord and tenant matters. 

• Providing pragmatic and commercially focused legal advice to internal stakeholders. 

Acquisitions and Disposals 

• Managing acquisitions and disposals of investment properties. 

• Reviewing and reporting on title. 

• Drafting and negotiating transaction documentation. 

• Dealing with completion and post-completion matters. 

• Supporting larger transactions alongside external counsel where required. 

Financing and Other Property Matters 

• Assisting on refinancing transactions involving the property portfolio. 

• Reviewing Certificates of Title and related documentation. 

• Advising on easements, rights of way, wayleaves and utility agreements. 

• Supporting on planning and development-related matters when required. 

• Assisting with drafting appointments of professionals and collateral warranty deeds. 

• Supporting wider corporate transactions through property due diligence, title review and management of property workstreams. 

• Managing external legal advisers and controlling legal spend where appropriate. 

Property Disputes 

• Supporting the management of a broad range of property disputes across the portfolio, including tenant defaults, lease interpretation issues, dilapidations, service charge disputes and possession matters. 

• Instructing and managing external counsel on contentious landlord and tenant matters where required. 

• Advising internal stakeholders on dispute avoidance strategies and commercially pragmatic resolutions. 

Construction 

• Assisting with the negotiation and management of construction and development documentation, including professional appointments, collateral warranties, pre-construction services agreements and building contracts. 

• Working closely with internal project, construction and asset management teams, and managing external legal advisers where appropriate. 

Candidate Profile 

Essential 

• Qualified solicitor in England and Wales, with no less than five years’ PQE or equivalent experience. 

• Strong commercial real estate experience gained at a reputable regional, national or City firm. 

• Significant experience acting for major landlords, ideally including owners of shopping centres. 

• Excellent grounding in all legal aspects of landlord and tenant work, with experience negotiating and completing a high volume of asset management transactions. 

• Ability to take ownership of matters and manage real estate transactions with little or no supervision. 

• Strong technical drafting and negotiation skills. 

• Commercially minded, pragmatic and solutions focused. 

• Confident dealing directly with senior business stakeholders, external advisers and opposing legal counsel. 

Desirable but not essential  

• Experience in one or more of the following areas would be helpful but is not essential: 

• property finance work; 

• property disputes work; 

• construction law; and 

• planning law. 

• Previous in-house experience. 

The Arora Group 

The Arora Group is one of the UK’s largest family-owned businesses, leveraging synergies across its specialist property, construction and hotel divisions. Since 1999, the Group has built its standing by managing projects meticulously from inception to delivery and beyond. Today, it owns and manages a diverse portfolio of flagship assets valued at more than £3bn across key business locations in the UK and Ireland, partnering with some of the world’s most recognised brands to deliver consistently high levels of service and sustainable growth. Recent acquisitions include the landmark Novotel London West and Metro Building in Hammersmith, and the iconic “MOJ Building” at 102 Petty France, St James. Live projects include the construction of the new Sofitel hotel at Dublin Airport, the redevelopment of the iconic Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa, and the Group’s proposal for the expansion of Heathrow Airport. 

Role Overview 
We are seeking an experienced, commercially minded non-contentious property lawyer to join our in-house legal team. The core focus of the role will be asset management of a large and diverse property portfolio, including shopping centres, hotels and other commercial premises. The role will also involve acquisitions, disposals and other bespoke property matters. 

The role would suit a lawyer with strong private practice training who has experience leading transactions, taking ownership of legal workstreams and working closely with colleagues across the business. Although PQE is not determinative, we anticipate that the role would suit a lawyer with at least five years’ post-qualification experience who is technically proficient, confident managing matters independently and experienced in engaging directly with counterparties and external advisers. 

This is an opportunity to join a lean, high-performing in-house legal function at the centre of a dynamic and substantial privately owned property, hotel and development business, with direct exposure to senior decision-makers and a broad range of commercially significant matters. 

You would have a high degree of responsibility and autonomy, working as part of a supportive team of property professionals and reporting to senior management in conjunction with the Group’s General Counsel. 
 
Key Responsibilities 
 
Asset Management 

• Drafting and negotiating commercial leases, mostly from a landlord's perspective, across a varied property portfolio, including retail, leisure, hotel and office assets. 

• Advising on and negotiating all manner of property agreements including:  

• Agreements for lease 

• Licences to assign 

• Licences for alterations 

• Deeds of variation 

• Deeds of surrender 

• Short-term occupation arrangements 

• Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 exclusion documentation 

• Hotel and property management agreements 

• Supporting asset managers and surveyors on day-to-day landlord and tenant matters. 

• Providing pragmatic and commercially focused legal advice to internal stakeholders. 

Acquisitions and Disposals 

• Managing acquisitions and disposals of investment properties. 

• Reviewing and reporting on title. 

• Drafting and negotiating transaction documentation. 

• Dealing with completion and post-completion matters. 

• Supporting larger transactions alongside external counsel where required. 

Financing and Other Property Matters 

• Assisting on refinancing transactions involving the property portfolio. 

• Reviewing Certificates of Title and related documentation. 

• Advising on easements, rights of way, wayleaves and utility agreements. 

• Supporting on planning and development-related matters when required. 

• Assisting with drafting appointments of professionals and collateral warranty deeds. 

• Supporting wider corporate transactions through property due diligence, title review and management of property workstreams. 

• Managing external legal advisers and controlling legal spend where appropriate. 

Property Disputes 

• Supporting the management of a broad range of property disputes across the portfolio, including tenant defaults, lease interpretation issues, dilapidations, service charge disputes and possession matters. 

• Instructing and managing external counsel on contentious landlord and tenant matters where required. 

• Advising internal stakeholders on dispute avoidance strategies and commercially pragmatic resolutions. 

Construction 

• Assisting with the negotiation and management of construction and development documentation, including professional appointments, collateral warranties, pre-construction services agreements and building contracts. 

• Working closely with internal project, construction and asset management teams, and managing external legal advisers where appropriate. 

Candidate Profile 

Essential 

• Qualified solicitor in England and Wales, with no less than five years’ PQE or equivalent experience. 

• Strong commercial real estate experience gained at a reputable regional, national or City firm. 

• Significant experience acting for major landlords, ideally including owners of shopping centres. 

• Excellent grounding in all legal aspects of landlord and tenant work, with experience negotiating and completing a high volume of asset management transactions. 

• Ability to take ownership of matters and manage real estate transactions with little or no supervision. 

• Strong technical drafting and negotiation skills. 

• Commercially minded, pragmatic and solutions focused. 

• Confident dealing directly with senior business stakeholders, external advisers and opposing legal counsel. 

Desirable but not essential  

• Experience in one or more of the following areas would be helpful but is not essential: 

• property finance work; 

• property disputes work; 

• construction law; and 

• planning law. 

• Previous in-house experience.