Tower Brewery host "Hop" property for Else Solicitors
Added by Love Business East Midlands | 14 September 2017
UPDATED: 14 September 2017
Tower Brewery in Burton on Trent recently hosted an event organised by law firm Else Solicitors to recognise the booming commercial property market in Burton and to celebrate the appointment of Felicity Fisher as their new head of property. The event was attended by over 60 guests, which included the Mayor and Mayoress of East Staffordshire, Simon and Jane Gaskin.
L-R Chris Else Felicity Fisher Jane Gaskin Simon Gaskin Peter Fox
Felicity Fisher joined Else Solicitors LLP in 2016 and was appointed as Head of Property in July 2017 following Peter Fox’s decision to work towards his eventual retirement.
Holding the event in a brewery may seem an unusual choice for a law firm, but this unique and quirky setting and the history related to the building and the legal advice provided to Tower Brewery made it the ideal choice.
Back in 2001, Peter Fox was advising current owner, John Mills when he applied to buy the building to start his own brewery company. During the negotiation’s it came to light that there was a legal covenant preventing the building from being used as a brewery. The building was previously owned by Bass & Co, so presumably the covenant was in place to prevent competitors. Peter was successful in renegotiating terms and Tower Brewery has since enjoyed commercial success both from brewing activities and as a venue for events, comedy nights and music gigs.
Originally it was intended to call the event Hot Property to highlight the booming market in Burton, but bearing in mind the venue, the firm could not resist the temptation of making an oblique reference to the ‘hop’ brewing activities that go on within the building.
Commenting Peter Fox said, “Burton is growing, Else is growing and Else’s commercial property department is growing. Despite Brexit, the commercial property market is generally very buoyant and there has been a significant increase in new work over the last 12 months.”
During her short speech, Felicity highlighted the many significant developments currently taking place around Burton including the Branston Locks development, which will eventually lead to 2,500 homes as well as a new 20-hectare business park which will provide 1 million square feet of industrial space creating nearly 4,000 jobs from the new businesses and the hotel, pub restaurant and other sports and recreation facilities that are planned.
She also mentioned the work that is due to start on the new Burton Rugby Club and the IMEX Business Park in Moor Street which is to be converted into a residential development.
Commenting, Felicity said, “I am greatly excited by the challenge of building on the foundations which Peter Fox and Chris Else have laid over the last eight and a half years. I believe that the developments taking place in Burton and along the A38 corridor will bring further commercial projects, business growth and opportunities for many years to come, and I look forward to progressing and expanding Else’s presence in the commercial property market.”
The Else commercial property team provides legal services to many local and UK wide businesses, and has a particular specialism in the licenced trade including breweries, pub companies and owners and operators of pubs clubs and hotels. The other members of the Else commercial property team include solicitor Pav Lalria, who deals with leasehold transactions and commercial property sales and purchases, trainee solicitor Laura Butchart, and experienced commercial property PA, Linda Harris.
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