At P.A.Duffy and Company, we provide expert services for buying, selling and investing in commercial property. We advise on legal obligations that arise in such transactions and carry out the day to day work so that you can focus on running your business.
Dealing with commercial property can be incredibly complicated, whether you are a landlord, tenant, developer or bank, and want to buy or sell a property, or are currently involved in a dispute.
At P.A.Duffy & Co. our team of specialist solicitors has handled a variety of cases of this nature, and we are here to offer you easy-to-understand legal advice that will help you in your current circumstances. We combine our commercial expertise with a thorough understanding of your business to deliver strategic and no-nonsense legal advice.
We partner with clients large and small, public and private, to see them through any legal issues. Our aim is to help break down the legal jargon in a way that is easy to understand and we will engage with you regularly to ensure your interests are looked after. Our expert commercial law solicitors will can advise you on a broad range of matter, some of our specialities include:
• Planning – This covers a broad area of commercial property law which includes housing or retail developments and legal issues often arise in relation to planning permission and appeals for example. Developers are under a duty to comply with legislation and regulations in relation to planning. Our expert solicitors help our clients to understand what their rights and obligations are when it comes to planning law. Whether you are a landowner considering a development project or an experienced developer we have the specialist knowledge to guide you in the right direction.
• Property Litigation – Recourse to the Courts can often be the most effective remedy when commercial property disputes arise. Property litigation covers many topics which may include disputes over development agreements, disputes over service charges, recovery of land or disputes over subletting, change of use and alterations to commercial property. Whether you are a landlord, tenant, retailer or developer our commercial law solicitors can advise you on the merits of using litigation as an effective remedy to your problem.
• Commercial Mortgages – a commercial mortgage can be useful in helping you to buy or refinance a business property. They often contain complex terms and conditions which place significant financial commitments on the lender. Our expert solicitors can help you to understand your rights and obligations. We aim to ensure that you enter in to an agreement that is viable and beneficial for your business.
• Leases – Commercial leases can contain a variety of terms and conditions that must be considered carefully before signing. We act for landlords and tenants and often advise them on important issues that may arise in commercial leases in relation to service charges, non-payment of rent, breach of covenant, forfeiture, assignment and underletting. We have worked with a range of businesses and have helped to secure commercial leases for bars, restaurants, hotels, offices, retail spaces and industrial units.
• License Agreements – licenses can be difficult to understand and legal assistance is always advised to ensure that your license is appropriate for your business and no important details are missed. Our expert solicitors provide assistance to clients applying for licenses for commercial property such as bars and restaurants. We also help our clients to make amendments to existing licenses and to buy or sell licensed commercial property.
How We Can Help
At PA Duffy and Company our commercial solicitors aim to make the process of dealing with commercial property as straight forward as possible. While each case will be different, we can guarantee that our service will include:
1. Expert advice/ representation – If an issue arises you can contact one of our expert commercial law solicitors and they will meet you or speak to you on the phone to discuss how best to resolve the matter. You will be advised on the most effective method or remedy to your problem and our solicitors will tailor our services to your needs.
2. Communication – We will keep you updated on the progress of your case throughout the dispute resolution process. Our commercial solicitors are approachable and responsive to any queries you may have and will try to help you understand the legal complexities.
3. Getting Results – We understand that our clients come to us because they want effective and efficient advice or representation. Whether you are applying to amend a license or are seeking a commercial mortgage, our solicitors will commit themselves to helping you achieve your desired result.
Case Study
We have devised a hypothetical scenario which may help you to understand the practicalities of commercial property law: Lisa is a prominent local businesswoman who owns several bars and nightclubs in Northern Ireland. In her largest nightclub there is a licensing issue that she was not previously aware of; the smoking area on the premises is not licensed for the consumption of alcohol. The smoking area was recently renovated, and Lisa was keen to resolve this issue.
She approached a commercial law solicitor at PA Duffy and Company who advised her that rather than apply for a new license she could make an alteration to her existing license. Lisa was happy to take this approach as it would save time and be more cost effective. Lisa was advised to apply for a minor variation to her existing license. Her solicitor helped her to draft written submissions and the license variation was subsequently accepted.