Aileen Houghton

Aileen qualified as a solicitor in 2001.  In 2021, Aileen began working with Allan Janes in a consultancy capacity before joining as Senior Associate in June 2022. She spent the previous 5 years 'in-house' with the Rank Group plc where she was responsible for dealing with or overseeing all property legal work for the group globally. Prior to this Aileen spent time in-house with property investment company, Dawnay Day and in practice with CMS Cameron McKenna, Thomas Egger and Mayfair property boutique, Brecher. 

Having worked within businesses as well as in practice, Aileen has a very broad experience and has worked with the commercial pressures a business operates under and understands the need for a solicitor to be a trusted business adviser who provides pragmatic and commercial advice at a reasonable cost. 

Aileen’s commercial property work includes preparing, reviewing and negotiating all property contracts and property transactions including purchases, sales, leases, assignments, licences, agreements for leases, management agreements, overage agreements, planning agreements and development agreements.  She has direct experience of working in a business hard hit by Covid, dealing with rent deferrals and reductions as well as identifying and working with agents to achieve exits from leases businesses no longer require. 

Notable examples of Aileen’s work include:   

• Identifying several lease exits for tenants on favourable terms including one that saved the tenant £10.7m.

• Identified an opportunity from a weakness in the lease to reduce dilapidations liability for a tenant from £400,000 to £13,000 then seeing this through to completion.

• Achieving exchange of contracts on the sale of two properties for £5m within 48 hours of being instructed.

• Acting for a tenant serviced office provider on the development agreement and lease for their flagship Kings Cross Central site.

• Devising then implementing a property management strategy for a property investor landlord to streamline their portfolio.

• Leading a team to sell and lease back the entire property portfolio of a retail bank. 

• Reviewing and negotiating the property aspects in a share purchase agreement for an acquisition of £114m.

• Acting in a team for a developer purchasing a chain of 14 four- and five-star hotels for £300m.

In her spare time, Aileen is an active volunteer in the Advocacy Team at Wycombe Homeless Connection where she negotiates with landlords on behalf of vulnerable clients to avoid their becoming homeless.  She also trains gundogs, runs and is learning Italian.