Melanie Benson

Spear’s Review

As a partner in Harbottle & Lewis's property group, Melanie Benson advises on commercial landlord and tenant work, plus residential conveyancing and investment and development work.

Clients include a mix of individuals, from ‘off-shore UHNW clients to tech entrepreneurs, arts impresarios and footballers’, Benson says. ‘They value quality, individual, tailored advice from lawyers who understand and know their businesses and their lives.’

Supported by Harbottle & Lewis’s private capital team, Benson provides a service that is both specialist and modern in approach. She notes that clients' privacy is paramount, and that maintaining it has sustained several long-term client relationships.

When asked about her clientele, she will only say: ‘Discretion is key – and my lips are forever sealed!’

Adviser Profile

Head of real estate Melanie Benson, has had an extremely busy year during the Covid-19 pandemic as prime real estate took off following the more stifling pre-Brexit times and with commercial landlord and tenant work continuing to be very active with both private clients and businesses re-evaluating their office and home needs. Whilst many reported a lack of off-shore interest in prime residential, Melanie acted on many matters for both local and off-shore clients and in particular on two major and challenging residential acquisitions for US and European clients.