Well, the solicitor I want to use gave me two options- she can review all the documents and give me her opinion on whether the chap can sell them to me, and what documents would be needed, or she can handle the whole thing.
Sounds like you might be able to get her to handle the whole thing without him knowing? There'll presumably be a definitive document that'll show you own it and it won't matter whether he knows who drafted / managed it.
Well, the solicitor I want to use gave me two options- she can review all the documents and give me her opinion on whether the chap can sell them to me, and what documents would be needed, or she can handle the whole thing.