From trusts to titles: a legal journey from STEP solicitor to landlord specialist

While I began my career as a fully accredited police station advisor, it became clear to me during my training contract that private client law was the path I wished to follow. Preparing estate accounts and taking instructions from testators with substantial property portfolios appealed far more than advising clients at police stations.

My professional route towards becoming a Trust and Estates Practitioner (TEP) was provisionally mapped out. I specialised in private client work upon qualification and completed the rigorous STEP Diploma for England and Wales. This was a demanding but rewarding process that strengthened my expertise in succession planning, estate administration and taxation.

I was in a world centred on people and wealth preservation. Yet over time, my interest in property law began to develop. 

For the past decade, I have specialised exclusively in landlord and tenant law. With the summer holidays now drawing to a close, I have found it valuable to pause and reflect on my legal journey to date. I share in this article on how I transitioned from a STEP qualified background in private client work, into a niche area of property law, and how the two practice areas are more connected than they first appear. 

How did this happen? At first glance, private client law and landlord and tenant law may seem worlds apart. However, I was working with clients who held significant property portfolios - often within trust structures - and that was the key connection.

I realised that an in-depth understanding of freehold and leasehold rights would add value to my clients.

After identifying the path I wanted to pursue, I chose to join an established landlord and tenant team at a central London practice. Immersing myself in new legislation and case law, I quickly realised how broad and intricate this area of property law could be. 

I had not anticipated that landlord and tenant law could offer such a diverse and extensive caseload, encompassing both statutory and non-statutory matters. 

The opportunity to manage a full caseload of landlord and tenant matters only deepened my commitment to the field.

My background as a TEP has proven to be a key asset in enfranchisement work, including my:

• knowledge of complex ownership structures: many matters involve investor landlords, freehold companies or trusts requiring a nuanced legal approach
• sophisticated understanding of tax implications: collective Enfranchisement and Lease Extensions claims often trigger capital gains, corporation tax and SDLT implications
• detail-oriented drafting skills: title investigation and accurate notice preparation and service benefit from the meticulous habits honed in my STEP practice.

Since I made the move into this area of property law, I haven't looked back. Landlord and tenant law remains a specialist, evolving niche, now subject to reforms. Further information is available on the UK Parliament's page: Leasehold reform in England and Wales: What’s happening and when?

Consequently, work in this field is very intellectually stimulating, whether it be the challenge of unravelling complex titles or drafting notices involving multiple landlord interests.

Legal careers rarely follow a straight line. For me, the most fulfilling part of my work is bridging the gap between private client and landlord and tenant law, drawing on both practice areas to deliver the best possible outcomes for my clients.

For those considering a career in either practice area, my legal journey offers a few takeaways:

1) interdisciplinary thinking is powerful: skills developed in one area, such as estate planning, can enhance your proficiency in another, such as landlord and tenant law

2) a multi-disciplinary service is valuable to clients: appreciating how property and wealth intersect allows you to offer more holistic advice and develop stronger client relationships

3) specialisation does not mean limitation: becoming an expert in a niche area like landlord and tenant law can still allow you to draw on broader legal knowledge and evolve your practice over time.

Laurent Vaughan is a senior associate in the property law and conveyancing team. He specialises in collective enfranchisement, right of first refusal and lease extension matters.