Amanda French

Amanda specialises in portfolio management and store development programmes for multi-national retail businesses. She is also experienced in managing investment portfolios.

Amanda is a Commercial Property expert with 20 years’ post qualification experience (PQE).

Amanda specialises in portfolio management and store development programmes for multi-national retail businesses.

Amanda has gained extensive retail experience from working in both law firm and in house settings. As Head of Property Legal for two multinational retailers (River Island and Farrow & Ball) she provided commercial strategic advice on the global property portfolio issues and transactions, whilst reducing risk, providing business cost savings and managing the internal and external legal teams.

Uniquely Amanda has also held commercial roles within business and has extensive client side commercial and project management experience driving dynamic change, and has experience of sitting on a number of executive boards.

Amanda sits on various sports club committees, and has just resigned as Vice-Chair and Trustee on Dartmoor Multi-Academy Trust providing strategic guidance to the Management Team delivering education to over 4,500 pupils across three senior schools and 16 primary schools. Until 2021 she was also a Trustee for a new primary school in Okehampton and a Governor at her daughter’s primary school.

How Amanda can help you

Having been client side, and had Board roles, Amanda really understands what drives the clients. She understands their challenges, but also how important direct and pragmatic advice is to them.

Experience

• Management of a large mixed asset property portfolio valued in excess of £100million – Amanda led the management of a large retail property portfolio, managing a team of lawyers, developing the precedent databases and work flow processes. She worked closely with asset managers and retail agents, meeting tight deadlines, dealing with title issues, a complex redevelopment of part of the portfolio, and bank funding.
• Estate Management of one of the UK’s largest rail hubs – Amanda led on the general estate management issues but also the estate management during the redevelopment of the hub. With tenants simultaneously entering into agreements to surrender, completing temporary occupational arrangements and agreements for lease (with development obligations).
• Retailer Expansion Programme for UK’s largest Trade DIY store – Amanda advised on the store expansion programme of a national DIY retailer. She completed numerous transactions simultaneously meeting tight deadlines, handling all standard issues with Agreement for Leases with development and planning issues and collateral warranties.
• Fashion Brand store expansion programme – Amanda has managed the estate for numerous high street fashion brands from Reiss to New Look, Oasis to Whistles. This included pre-let agreements in shopping centres from Exeter Princesshay to the Trafford Centre and Westfield, high street locations such as Crown Estate’s properties on Regent Street, and large out of town industrial estates.
• Head of Property Legal at River Island – Amanda’s remit was to deliver commercial strategic advice on the global property portfolio issues and transactions, whilst reducing risk, providing business cost savings and managing the internal and external legal teams. She was simultaneously advising on pre-let Agreements for Lease, contentious and non-contentious portfolio issues, whilst managing legal advisors globally on the store expansion programme and estate management issues. By undertaking a huge amount of the transactional work in-house, implementing standardisation, reporting processes and developing internal processes Amanda halved the property legal budget in 12 months.
• Head of Legal at Folk2Folk – Amanda demonstrated her ability to manage numerous projects, tight timescales and adapt to new issues with a commercial strategic outlook. She was responsible for the appointment and management of a 30-strong legal panel nationally; providing operation advice and legal support to the Credit & Applications team, Company Secretary, advising on the branch rollout and negotiated branch leases, reviewing commercial contracts, and assisting with corporate governance. In addition she supported the CEO through regulatory approval process, a capital raise and acquisition proposals.