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Mario Savvides

Partner | Head of Commercial Property

Mario is a partner at Grant Saw Solicitors and leads the firm's Business Services division, which brings together the Commercial Property, Employment and Corporate and Commercial teams. As Head of Commercial Property, he acts for property investors, owner-occupiers and institutional landlords on the acquisition, disposal and management of commercial real estate — with particular depth in complex light and heavy industrial site transactions.

Mario's practice centres on the transactions that carry the most moving parts: multi-title acquisitions, portfolio-level financing, and long-standing landlord and tenant relationships with major national tenants. Clients come to him where a transaction needs coordinated legal input across several disciplines at once, rather than a single, contained instruction.

Current Focus — Portfolio Finance and Institutional Landlord Work

Alongside his transactional caseload, Mario has developed particular expertise in portfolio and multi-security property finance. He has built internal systems, supported by Grant Saw's dedicated Securities team, that allow multi-security portfolio finance and refinancing transactions to run efficiently at scale — a capability that matters most to lenders and borrowers managing several linked securities at once, where delay in one property can hold up an entire facility.

Mario acts on both sides of secured lending transactions — advising borrowers on refinancing and portfolio restructuring, and advising banks and commercial lenders directly on the security and documentation side of complex facilities. Acting from both perspectives shapes how he approaches a transaction: understanding what a lender needs to see in order to release funds without delay is as much a part of the advice as the borrower's own position.

He also acts for landlords with substantial national retail tenants, including Aldi, Iceland and Lidl, advising on the landlord and tenant issues that arise across a portfolio rather than a single unit — including lease renewals under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954. His practice extends beyond industrial and logistics assets to higher-value office and mixed-use property, where corporate occupiers, developers and institutional investors face the same coordination demands at a different scale.

Commercial Property

Mario advises investors, owner-occupiers, landlords, tenants and lenders on:

  • commercial freehold and leasehold acquisitions and disposals
  • light and heavy industrial site acquisitions and disposals
  • higher-value office and mixed-use property transactions
  • landlord and tenant matters, including 1954 Act lease renewals
  • secured lending and portfolio refinancing transactions, acting for both borrowers and lenders
  • multi-security property finance structuring
  • asset management for multi-let landlords
  • property due diligence across multi-title portfolios

Commercial Property — Common Questions

What is a 1954 Act lease renewal, and why does it matter for a landlord with multiple tenants? Where a commercial lease has security of tenure under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, a tenant generally has the right to a new lease at the end of the term, subject to limited statutory grounds on which the landlord can object. For a landlord managing several tenancies across a portfolio, renewals need to be tracked and handled consistently, since the terms agreed on one unit often set the reference point for negotiations on others.

What is multi-security portfolio finance? It's a lending structure where a single facility is secured against several properties rather than one. The complexity is coordinating title, valuation, and release mechanics across every property in the security package, so that dealing with one asset — a disposal, a refinance, a release — doesn't stall the wider facility. This is where process and system, as much as legal knowledge, determines how efficiently a transaction completes.

Does Mario act for lenders as well as borrowers? Yes. Acting on both sides of secured lending transactions gives a practical advantage — understanding what a lender's security and documentation requirements look like in practice informs the advice given to a borrower, and vice versa. This dual perspective is particularly relevant on portfolio-scale facilities, where delay on one property can affect the whole transaction.

Why would a large landlord instruct a firm outside central London for portfolio work? Scale of instruction isn't determined by postcode. What matters is whether the team has handled multi-title, multi-security transactions before and has the internal systems to run them without delay — Grant Saw's Commercial Property team has developed that capability specifically because of the volume of portfolio and institutional landlord work it handles.

What's involved in acquiring a multi-unit industrial or logistics site? These transactions typically combine several registered titles, environmental and planning due diligence, and reliance arrangements on existing specialist reports, alongside standard acquisition documentation. The work is in identifying which issues are commercially significant early, rather than treating every title in isolation.

What should a commercial lender look for in legal support on a portfolio-secured facility? On a portfolio-secured facility, lenders need lawyers who understand that speed and consistency are just as important as legal accuracy. I focus on delivering efficient release and substitution mechanics, maintaining consistency across security packages and coordinating closely with the borrower's advisers to keep the transaction moving without unnecessary duplication of work or cost.

About Mario

Mario Savvides joined Grant Saw in 2007 as a trainee solicitor after completing the Legal Practice Course at London Metropolitan University. He qualified as a solicitor in September 2009 and has remained with the firm throughout his career, becoming a partner in 2014. This long-standing commitment gives Mario a detailed understanding of the firm, its clients and the commercial relationships it supports.

Mario has over 18 years' experience in commercial property, and has led Grant Saw's Commercial Property team since 2014, as well as heading the firm's wider Business Services division. His work spans acquisitions and disposals, landlord and tenant matters, and secured lending, with a particular focus on transactions involving multiple properties, titles or securities.

Outside work, Mario enjoys football, the gym, jiu-jitsu and spending time with his daughter.

Mario Savvides is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, SRA number 431523. 

"The transactions I act on rarely turn on one issue in isolation — they turn on how well several moving parts are coordinated at once. That's true whether it's a multi-title acquisition or a portfolio finance facility, and it's why having the right systems in place matters as much as the legal advice itself." — Mario Savvides, Partner, Head of Commercial Property

  1. Mario’s professionalism and pragmatism are admirable. I felt confident and secure with his handling of many of my cases, not least because he demonstrated a genuine connection with myself and my situation, demonstrating technical legal ability and understanding my commercial decision making. He has given me confidence to make sound decisions whilst dealing with multinational companies”.

    Adnan for and on behalf of Shan Investments Limited

  2. We went into the sale of our companies with some trepidation, unaware of what we would be facing. Mario quickly became invaluable to us. He took time to explain all documentation, what legal terminology meant, what our choices and options were, all whilst normalising this very alien process for us. He was honest, trustworthy, deadline aware and (most importantly for us) fun to work with. We honestly could not have wished for more. Our experience working with Grant Saw has been extremely positive in all areas.

    S Hubble and B Landen

  3. Having started to refer clients across to Grant Saw in the last 12 months, I can honestly say that each and every member of Mario’s commercial team have always shown the highest levels of service and professionalism and an understanding of sometimes difficult and complex requirements from the bank.  It’s clear that customer service is at the top of their priority list whether this is managing client expectations or providing expert advice.  They are always contactable and are genuinely an absolute pleasure to work with.

    James Carden – Barclays Bank PLC

  4. I wanted to write to thank you for all your help in driving the sale of the property through to a successful conclusion and for going above and beyond to do so. I think it’s safe to say that your intervention back into the deal at the end, was the catalyst in getting it over the line.  It’s always a pleasure to deal with you on a transaction and I look forward to working with you on the next one.

    Steve Flannigan

  5. Thank you Mario. Can honestly say it’s a pleasure doing business with you and your firm. Cracking job to get everything done for us to complete today.

    Mr A Turner

  6. A difficult purchase made easy by Mario’s understanding and long hours, to finalise within time constraints.

    James Gannon Limited

  7. I have used Grant Saw Solicitors on several occasions and have been nothing but impressed with the level of service and professionalism supplied on every occasion whether I have used them for family matters or for commercial business purposes I have always been satisfied and would recommend them every time.

    Block and Cleaver Limited

  8. Your help throughout the purchasing process has been much appreciated.  Thank you for keeping me up-to-date at all times and for being so approachable.  It is reassuring to feel confident that one can make contact at any time, no matter how trivial the question.

    Ms SB

  9. This is to confirm that I have been using Grant Saw. In particular Ray Crudgington and Mario Savvides for over ten years and during that time I have ways found them to be ultra professional very amicable and efficient and overall the best solicitors I have found in the SE London area. I have tried others but have always returned as you can’t beat the BEST!!! 

    Mr R

  10. I really can’t believe it’s all done!! Wow! Thank you so so much for all your hard work, can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate everything you have done for me! I must say it’s going to be strange not receiving emails from you! Even this week I felt I was looking for updates from you! 

    Ms T

  11. I have dealt with Mario on a number of occasions in respect of various property matters and can thoroughly recommend him and Grant Saw, he has dealt with every case expeditiously, efficiently, meticulously and he has always kept me up to date at all times.

    NCB

  12. I have recently purchased my first business and would highly recommend Grant Saw Solicitors. The service I received was excellent. Mario Saviddes was professional, thorough and extremely efficient. I can not fault the service I received, and would highly recommend this firm.

    Ms A Tiritti

  13. Mario is a pleasure to work with. He is intelligent, very responsive, and thinks creatively to form solutions to difficult problems. I confidently recommend him.

    Jeff Pruett

  14. I worked with Mario most recently during my time at John Payne Commercial while brokering a property deal. Working with Mario was a very refreshing experience, as a result of his regular updates, swift and accurate work, and commitment to getting the job done. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Mario to anyone considering his services.

    Joe Mcleod

  15. Mario and Leena – It has been a long hard road to get to completion on this one. But without your attention to detail and professionalism it wouldn’t have happened. So many thanks for getting us there and I am sure there will be many more in the coming years/months!!!

    Margaret Vitorino, Financial Controller at RMS Group of Companies

  16. Thanks Mario for all your prompt, friendly and efficient communication. If only Banks were as easy to deal with. 

    Malcolm Jones, Chair of Beckenham Theatre Centre Limited

  17. I just wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you so much for all of your perseverance and hard work on this completion. You made a real difference in getting it over the line within the timeframe that we needed.

    Duncan Martin

  18. Mario is outstanding at navigating complex situations and is deeply committed to securing the best outcome for his clients. He handled every aspect of my matter with complete confidence and clarity. What truly sets Mario apart is his ability to work through really complex opportunities while keeping you fully informed throughout. His communication was excellent, and I always felt supported and in safe hands. His depth of knowledge and commercial expertise provided genuine peace of mind. If you need a commercial property solicitor who delivers results with a supportive, professional…

    Hannah

  19. I have instructed Mario on numerous property transactions, and it is consistently a pleasure to work with him. I always feel I am in excellent hands due to his thorough due diligence and his ability to protect my interests from every angle. Mario provides an outstanding, high-level service; he is efficient, proactive, and highly organised. You never have to chase him for an update, and his depth of knowledge provides total peace of mind. A true professional who makes complex transactions feel straightforward and easy.

    Paul

  20. I have worked with Mario Savvides with a number of my clients on projects that can be very complex dealing with Planning, title issues, options, conditional contracts and leasing as well a freehold acquisitions. Mario's advice is always comprehensive but delivered in a layman's term making it easy to understand but with a commercial approach to getting the transaction completed within a timely manner. Works well with tax an property advisers to ensure a holistic approach to transaction structures to minimise tax, deal lag and maximise certainty, and acts commercially where the opposite…

    Richard

  21. I cannot rate Mario highly enough for the diligence and attention to detail and protection of our business in a recent Leasing transaction. What started off as an alleged straight to lease turned out to be anything but with land charges pre emptions tenancy at will etc etc etc across multiple leases. Mario was superb and was on the front foot throughout the process and never needed to chase him as there was constant communication and reassurance when required etc. Would definitely reengage in any future commercial property deals.

    Stephen

  22. There is no such thing as a standard commercial lawyer. When things become complicated and you need a sound AND commercial pair of hands that understand the clients aims and manages legal risk, Mario Savvides is your man. Having completed over £30m of sales and acquisitions over the last 3 years for mutual clients, there is no better lawyer to have on the team. 

    Richard Seton-Clements – Landswift

  23. We can not recommend Grant Saw highly enough. Having worked with the commercial team for over two years, we are constantly impressed by their knowledge, professionalism and dynamic approach. The advice we have received has been invaluable to the success of our business.

    Bella Landen - Moxie Management

Mario’s Insights

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