The Practice
A deliberately narrow practice. Each of the eight areas below is one Mr Petrides has lived himself — as operator, owner, landlord, director or contracts manager. If your matter falls within them, the conversation begins from understanding.
Sale, purchase and transfer of established trading businesses — valuation, qualification of buyers, negotiation and completion, conducted without alarming staff, customers or counterparties. Equal care to the owner exiting and the principal acquiring.
Steady counsel on commercial disputes, partnership breakdowns, contractual difficulties and regulatory matters that demand discretion. Preliminary assessment and, where formal instruction is required, referral to suitable solicitors and counsel of our long acquaintance.
Premises licences, alcohol and late-hours licensing, and the practical day-to-day of running cafés and restaurants — site acquisition and lease, staffing and suppliers, ongoing operation, and eventual sale. Drawn from years of restaurant ownership in the United Kingdom.
Hotel operations and the contractual fabric behind them — management agreements, franchise terms, supplier and group contracts. Equally, advisory on the acquisition, lease, refurbishment or disposal of hotel properties themselves.
Commercial and residential tenancies — negotiated, restructured, renewed or terminated, with attention to the covenant on either side. For landlords and for tenants; for trading premises and for homes. Long-standing working relationships with local planning authorities, useful where change-of-use or permissions form part of the matter.
Counsel for operators of children's residential care — including provision for children with learning difficulties, mental-health and substance-related needs. Drawn directly from Mr Petrides' role as director of Courage Children's Home Ltd.
Commercial counsel for transactions and contracts abroad — principally in Cyprus, where the practice holds long-standing relationships and works alongside trusted local advisers. Property, hospitality, tenancies and trading concerns, with on-the-ground presence where matters require it.
More on the Cyprus & Overseas desk →Sourcing of commercial finance — working capital, asset finance, term debt, bridging and refinancing — drawn from a panel of lenders chosen for terms, not commission. And, where wanted, negotiation conducted on the company's behalf with lenders, landlords, suppliers, partners and counterparties: we sit across the table so that you do not have to.
Initial consultations are without charge or obligation. We respond within one business day; mark urgent matters as such, and they shall be answered first.