14 | SME NEWS - Legal Awards 2020 Founded in 2017, Law.X are a strategic and agile law firm who have served clients in the area of property development since its establishment. Eager to find out more, we got in touch with CEO Mark Lynch who discussed the firm’s history and plans for the future. Based in London, Law.X is dedicated to serving property developers across England and Wales. The firm’s clients range from SMEs to larger, national developers building multi-million-pound projects. Indeed, much of the firm’s early successes can be attributed to its ability to meet – and exceed- the needs and expectations of this relatively niche industry and client base, as Mark explains in more detail. “With significant experience of working on all forms of property development including renovation, re-development, conversions, offices, warehouses, hotels, new builds and mixed-use we are well positioned to deliver the solutions our clients demand. “As we are 100% focussed on property developers, it means we have vast experience of understanding their needs and requirements, but also the risks and challenges they continuously face on their property developments.” Whilst best practice certainly dictates a degree of client centricity in the legal sector, Law.X endeavours to go a step beyond. “Taking time out to really listen to and understand each client is crucial, particularly when undertaking a new project. As property developers ourselves, we are highly qualified to provide strategic and sensible advice on the subject of property development. “Our ‘real world’ business experience means we have a richer context as to what’s actually important and a deeper understanding of the actual risks to our clients. Although we are always looking to find solutions for our clients, we are also never afraid to deliver bad news. We find that Clients value this kind of honest, fearless, and no-nonsense approach, and from it, we are able to build and maintain our strong working relationships.” This experience has served to elevate and distinguish Law.X from its peers. This partnered with an unwavering commitment to serving the best interests of its clients has been a potent combination for the firm. “We believe that the contracts associated with property development should be treated as valuable assets that lock-in value and are the gateway through which the Best Property Development Law Firm 2020 project is constructed and delivered. However, unfortunately, all too often we see that property development contracts are neglected or “done on the cheap” with little care and attention, which leads to those same contracts becoming a liability for property developers, damaging their profit margin and causing them costly delays. “Unfortunately, many lawyers are insulated from the world of business, and have actually come from a very academic (“theoretical”) background (e.g. they may have studied Politics or Classics at University). This often means that they lack context and perspective, and end-up focusing too much attention on the wrong issues or, even worse, simply not grasping how their clients can make and lose money.” Naturally, these core values and distinguishing factors also extend to the firm’s pricing model, which prioritises flexibility and convenience, as Mark moves on to discuss. “To further demonstrate our commitment to innovation we have a pricing system which gives property developers superior control, flexibility and choice over how much they pay to suit their budget and requirements. For example, we only offer fixed prices, which means there are no hidden surprises and there are rewards available too, such as a discounted price for invoices settled in advance. Adding value for clients wherever possible is what we believe truly defines us as a unique law firm. By showing the price in the form of ROI, clients can clearly see the return of investment they will get from us.” “As CEO of Law.X, we always want to add true value to the property developments of our property developers. We get a real buzz from leveraging the law to protect and improve their profit margins and keep their developments running on-time. We detest the stuffiness, conservatism and pomp often associated with law firms. We provide strategic, common- sense, and practical legal advice without any fuss or ceremony.” The next step for Law.X, all things considered, seems an obvious one: to become the ‘go to’ law firm for property developers in England and Wales. In Mark’s mind this is far from a pipe dream, as he remarks in his closing comments. “If we can continue to evolve and get even better at protecting and improving the profit margins of property developments and prevent costly project delays, then we will be well-positioned to become the first choice for property developers.” Contact Name: Mark Lynch Contact Email:
[email protected] Telephone Number: 07380163478 Address: 9 Bisenden Road, Croydon, CR0 6UN