A big welcome to The Jonathan Lea Network!
At the start of May, The Jonathan Lea Network moved into one of our spaces here at Basepoint Haywards Heath. This is a little bit about who they are, what they do, and how they found their first few weeks at the centre.
Who are The Jonathan Lea Network?
The Jonathan Lea Network is a new and innovative law firm that specialises in advising businesses, from technology start-ups to mature private companies and publicly listed corporations.
Until about 18 months ago Jonathan was working from a spare room at home as a self-employed solicitor, before then finding a small office above Mark Revill estate agents at 141 South Road in Haywards Heath, close to where he lives in Bolnore Village. This allowed Jonathan to hire employees and the team then jumped through the relevant convoluted and expensive hoops to start their own regulated law firm. Last year alone the company tripled its turnover and Jonathan believes the firm is well placed to now increase this rate of development even further.
Basepoint was an ideal location for making the firm's next office move and being able to stay based in Haywards Heath. The team instantly feel at home in a modern office environment surrounded by other small businesses and are looking forward to making use of their increased office space. Being located at Basepoint also gives them the opportunity to grow more easily by being able to take out another small office space in the centre on a flexible basis.
The firm focuses on advising many start-ups. Within this niche, they have earned a reputation as experts on the UK government SEIS and EIS tax relief schemes which are aimed at encouraging wealthy individuals to invest in young businesses. This year alone the firm has so far acted for almost 30 companies in successfully applying for HMRC advance assurance whereby the government confirms that a company meets the SEIS and EIS qualifying criteria.
Aside from their start-up work, other examples of the firm’s recent deals include advising a local entrepreneur on the purchase of a Mid Sussex golf club, the sellers of a 70 year old Sloane Square based property investment company that sold for several million, the French founders of a London burger business on an investment by a Saudi family office and the board of a publicly listed software company on its various commercial contracts.
Jonathan grew up in Sussex and after graduating from Bristol University he trained with the pre-eminent international City firm Clyde & Co. He worked as a corporate solicitor for five years in London before joining a regional firm in Cornwall. After two years there he then moved back 'upcountry' and started to work for himself as a self-employed solicitor on a virtual basis and contracting through other law firms.
Jonathan is currently joined in the office on a day-to-day basis by fellow Sussex residents Simon Brooks and Callum Ritchie, as well as Zahrah Fakim who reverse commutes from Beckenham in South East London. Now they have some spare office space, the team are currently looking to recruit more full time staff!