Lisha Gorsia

Lisha is a commercial property solicitor at Grant Saw Solicitors LLP in Greenwich, South East London, with over 10 years’ experience in the real estate sector advising investors, property owners, owner-managed businesses, charities and commercial occupiers. 

Her work covers the full transaction picture — acquisitions and disposals, new leases and agreements for lease, assignments, renewals and the consents that sit around them, through to refinancing and secured lending. Much of it involves premises a business depends on to trade, which shapes how she approaches it: setting out the commercial risk alongside the legal position, keeping clients updated so they always know where a matter stands, and working closely with agents, surveyors, lenders and accountants so that nothing sits waiting on someone else's desk. 

Where a point is technical, Lisha explains it in plain language. That matters most when a client is committing to a lease or a purchase that will shape their business for years. 

Current Focus — Industrial and Logistics Property 

Alongside her wider commercial property practice, Lisha has a growing focus on industrial and logistics property, including warehouses, distribution facilities, open storage sites and industrial land. These assets often raise practical issues that go beyond the title documents, from access arrangements and service infrastructure to estate management, planning considerations, environmental matters and energy efficiency requirements. Lisha works with clients to identify and address these issues early, helping them protect operational flexibility and avoid unexpected costs further down the line. 

Commercial Property 

Lisha advises landlords, tenants, investors and owner-occupiers across London and the south-east on: 

• commercial freehold and leasehold acquisitions and disposals 

• commercial leases and agreements for lease 

• lease assignments, renewals and extensions 

• licences to assign 

• alter and underlet 

• asset management matters 

• refinancing and secured lending transactions 

• rent reviews 

• landlord and tenant matters 

Commercial Property — Common Questions 

What is an agreement for lease? An agreement for lease is a binding contract committing a landlord and a tenant to enter into a lease at a future date, once certain conditions have been met — fit-out works completed, planning permission granted, or a superior landlord's consent obtained. It is common where premises are not yet ready for occupation. 

When do I need a licence to assign? Most commercial leases prevent a tenant transferring the lease to someone else without the landlord's written consent. That consent is given through a licence to assign, which records the landlord's agreement and, often, the outgoing tenant's continuing obligations. Starting the process early avoids delays to a sale or a business transfer. 

What happens when a commercial lease comes to an end? It depends on whether the lease has security of tenure under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954. Where it does, the tenant generally has the right to a new lease on similar terms, subject to limited grounds on which the landlord can object. Where the lease was contracted out of the Act, the tenant must give up occupation at the end of the term unless a new lease is agreed. 

What is a full repairing and insuring lease? Under an FRI lease the tenant takes on responsibility for repairing the premises and reimbursing the landlord's insurance costs. It is the standard arrangement for industrial and warehouse premises. The practical significance lies in the repairing obligation — a tenant can be required to hand a building back in better condition than they received it, unless that is limited when the lease is negotiated, often by a schedule of condition. 

Can a business buy its premises through a pension scheme? Commercial premises can be bought through a SIPP or SSAS, with the pension scheme as buyer and the trading business frequently paying rent to the scheme as tenant. The transaction involves the scheme's trustees, the business and its advisers, so the legal work needs to run alongside the pension and tax advice rather than follow it. 

What is a rent review? A rent review is the mechanism in a lease for adjusting the rent during the term, usually every three to five years. Most commercial leases in England and Wales use an open market review on an upwards-only basis, though index-linked and fixed increases are also used. The wording of the clause determines the outcome, so it is worth understanding before a lease is signed. 

About Lisha 

Lisha graduated from Brunel University with a first-class degree in Law (LLB Hons) and went on to complete the Legal Practice Course with distinction at the University of Law. Before joining Grant Saw she worked at a number of London law firms, gaining exposure to a broad range of property transactions. She combines the technical grounding of that experience with the approachable, pragmatic service clients expect from a firm rooted in its local community. 

Before specialising in commercial property, Lisha also practised in residential conveyancing and remains CQS accredited. That background is useful on mixed-use transactions and on refinancing matters where commercial and residential elements sit side by side. 

Outside work, Lisha enjoys yoga, meditation, reading and baking. 

Lisha Gorsia is a solicitor authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, SRA number 507488.

"Most problems in a commercial property transaction are visible at the outset if someone is looking for them. The work is in dealing with them then, rather than at completion." — Lisha Gorsia, Solicitor, Commercial Property