Property finance lender MSP Capital has welcomed senior solicitor Dan Curtis as its new Head of In-house Legal. He brings more than 20 years’ property market experience to the Poole-based company, which provides principal development and bridging loans for sums up to £20 million.

As well as overseeing MSP Capital’s legal affairs and providing advice and guidance to colleagues, Dan will manage the firm’s five-strong in-house legal team. He joins MSP Capital after 13 years as a Senior Associate Solicitor and partner with law firm Blake Morgan.

Among his stand-out deals there, he led the team that advised David Lloyd Leisure on the real estate aspects of its sale to TDR Capital. He also worked with a large health care provider on certifying its care home portfolio of over 250 care homes.

Before Blake Morgan, Dan worked for Birmingham practice Wragge & Co, now part of international law firm Gowling WLG, having gained his law degree from the University of Sussex in 2001. The former Poole Grammar School pupil said he was attracted to MSP Capital because of its ‘ambition, entrepreneurialism and genuine passion for property’ across its culture and operations. Dan said:

“MSP genuinely wants to help its clients to completion while ensuring rigorous standards are met. I’m a ‘property person’ and, likewise, the MSP team are all ‘property people’ so it seemed like a natural fit."

“It’s an ambitious, entrepreneurial business and that, coupled with the team’s deep understanding and genuine passion for property, was the main attraction for me.”

Among Dan’s initial aims in post are to streamline the legal and compliance processes that underpin fast, efficient progress on deals so that clients continue to have an excellent experience of the firm.

“Our team has been given the freedom to make a real difference to our processes so that we can stand out from competitors,” he said. “MSP’s decision making is commercially driven so we’re taking that ethos and seeing how we can work with the rest of the business to achieve positive results."

“We’re keen to challenge ourselves to strike the right balance between commerciality and ensuring rigorous standards.”

Looking further ahead, Dan said: “MSP has ambitious growth targets so being part of that journey will be a very rewarding experience.

“MSP wants to stand out in the market and ensuring the legal team are part of that will be really satisfying. Given the current market conditions it will be interesting to see who the successful developers and investors are and what sectors of the market really take off.”

Reflecting on his career to date, Dan said: “I’ve always been interested in commercial property and in particular the financing of real estate deals and advising on large corporate deals."

“At the same time, I’ve enjoyed working with high-net-worth individuals and families on complex deals.

“For example, I advised a family on the sale of large parcels of land which had been in their ownership for generations."

“It was a complex deal due to site challenges, and required a collaborative approach, but the upshot was that it unlocked land for hundreds of much needed, new-build homes.”

Paul Miracca, MSP Capital Managing Director, said:

“Dan has a high level of legal acumen coupled with extensive knowledge and experience from across the property market."

“We are keen to harness and apply his skills to inform our relationship-led lending and the benefits we bring to our clients through robust, flexible lending solutions.”

Among Dan’s immediate colleagues at MSP Capital are Legal Director Neil Woolgar, Solicitor Matthew Lang, Executive Paralegal Jacqui Schott, Legal Assistants Isabella Reale and Sarah Franklin, and Legal Secretary Sandra Dakanyte.

Founded in 1981, MSP Capital is a principal bridging and development lender offering funding solutions to property professionals up to £20 million.