Nicole Priestley

Nicole is a Partner in the Real Estate team at Thomson Snell & Passmore and whilst having experience in a wide range of commercial property areas, specialises in real estate finance.

Nicole works with a number of institutional lenders in respect of development and bridging loan facilities ranging in size and scope. The nature of the work requires knowledge and expertise in property, planning, construction and corporate matters, and often input from other departments within the firm which Nicole manages and leads. The work often requires a commercial and risk based analysis of any matters that may arise during the course of a transaction, along with a solution based approach, in order to provide advice to clients that is thorough and accurate, but at the same time concise, along with options to allow clients to make informed decisions that are appropriate for their business.

Nicole works in all stages of a real estate finance transaction to provide a full service including the preparation of loan and security documentation and property due diligence. Throughout a transaction Nicole will not only be in continuous communication with lender-clients but also their other appointed professionals including Surveyors and Valuers to ensure any points arising are dealt with collaboratively, and as swiftly and as early on in a transaction as possible.

Nicole started her career as a Trainee Lawyer with the firm and within four years progressed from being a newly qualified solicitor in the real estate team in September 2017, to being made a Senior Associate in June 2021 and Partner in June 2024.

Real estate development Finance
Real estate investment Finance
Bridging finance
Property development
Inter-creditor arrangements.

Nicole is currently working on residential development loan facilities

In amounts of over £27,000,000.

Nicole recently completed a development loan facility for a lender client in the sum of over £13,000,000

to assist the client’s borrower with a mixed residential and commercial development in Kent, including the refurbishment of a Grade II Listed building and works to remove and remediate a former gas chamber at the site. The work involved thorough legal due diligence on the property and various planning consents in connection with the proposed works, preparation of the loan facility and a suite of security documents including construction security documents. The facility was completed swiftly in line with the Borrower’s needs notwithstanding the complexities.

Nicole also recently completed a development loan facility with a client of over £7,000,000 to assist the client’s borrower

Who is working in partnership with Housing Growth Partnership, in turn backed by Lloyds and Homes England, to acquire and develop a site in Preston with planning permission for 195 dwellings. The borrower exercised its option to purchase the site in phases and the development was authorised pursuant to a “hybrid” planning consent whereby outline planning permission was granted for the wider site and full planning permission granted for each phase. This required a detailed analysis of the structure of the transaction and the proposal that the borrower would acquire the site in phases to ensure that those phases correlated with the terms and conditions of the various planning consents. The due diligence was completed to the bank’s satisfaction to enable completion and the borrower is now progressing its development with the support of the bank’s loan.

Achievements & other appointments

Nicole has been recognised in The Legal 500.

Insider media property awards - shortlisted- 2023

Education

Nicole undertook her law degree at Exeter University, and then completed her Legal Practice Law at BPP in London, before starting her training contract with the firm in 2015 and then qualifying as a solicitor in 2017.

Partner, Real Estate

Specialisms & expertise

Examples of work