By Legal Futures’ Associates Thames Water Property Searches
My inbox is groaning with invitations to ‘free’ events. And like you, I have given up several mornings/days attending talks which, although mildly informative, do not compensate for the avalanche of work awaiting me when I return to my desk.
The last Thames Water Property Searches Commercial Property Event, held in September, proved to be a welcome exception to the usual experience.
The first speaker was Paul Addison from DevAssist. The title of his talk was How to Avoid Being Sued for £2 Million, a reference to Bird & Bird who were required to pay Rebecca Chow £2 million after she purchased a large London property for £25 million, only to discover planning permission had been granted for a nearby six-storey academy school for 1,400 pupils.
Stephanie Kerr from Argyll Environment spoke next about finding the right environment report for your client. Due to climate change, flooding is becoming an increasing concern for landlords and tenants. Ms Kerr emphasised that even if land is not near a river, there remains a risk of surface-water and groundwater flooding.
Following on was the strikingly energetic and knowledgeable Ben Raywood from Savills Commercial Research who gave an overview of the Central London office market, followed by Bryan Parry, who talked about Thames Water Property Searches and the vast range of property searches and discounted search packs available.
Speaking to an attendee at lunch, I found out that she comes to all the Thames Water Property Searches events as she finds them invaluable for keeping up-to-date. Another told me the events are “great for refreshing knowledge. I get so caught up in day to day work, coming here today has given me a chance to learn new information and network with other commercial property solicitors”.
After lunch, Hannah Mackinlay, Solicitor and Consultant at propertylaw.guru provided a wealth of valuable information on regulatory and case law updates on topics such as adverse possession, ‘genuine’ intentions to redevelop a property, rent review, lease drafting errors, implied terms, and the new lease code. One delegate commented that Ms Mackinlay’s talk alone made coming to the event well worth the time. And it wasn’t just Solicitors that found the sessions valuable, a property professional working in the local government sector said she would be returning for future talks and “had learned lots from the lectures”.
One aspect that particularly struck me was the warmth and friendliness of the room. The staff present were relaxed and approachable, and this greatly added to the positive atmosphere in the room. The day was well-organised, with every convenience catered for.
Would I attend another Thames Water Property Searches event? Yes, without a doubt. In a market full of sales pitches disguised as informative lectures, Thames Water Property Searches stands out in terms of atmosphere, organisation, and a desire to provide genuine value to its customers.
Being dedicated to training, Thames Water Property Searches are delighted to offer its customers free CPD training sessions. We provide whole day sessions with a varied array of subjects and speakers or we visit our customers offices and deliver specific CPDs on a number of different subjects such as “Changing Drainage and Water Legislation”.
To become a customer of Thames Water Property Searches, contact us today.
