Real Estate

Our Construction team specialises in all legal aspects of complex, high-profile construction projects, acting for a broad range of clients, including major developers, banks, property investors, asset managers, investment managers and occupiers. 

We have assembled a team with a wide range of both contentious and non-contentious experience. We go to great lengths to understand our clients’ needs and objectives and always tailor our advice accordingly. This adds up to an approach that is highly commercial and singularly focused on delivering the best outcomes for our clients.

We provide comprehensive advice to occupiers on all aspects of their real estate requirements. We have the knowledge and expertise to guide and advise clients on a wide range of issues related to commercial leasing and occupancy. Our deep understanding of market trends and conditions allows us to negotiate leases and make real estate decisions that maximise value for our clients.

To provide a seamless real estate service, we work closely with our clients' other advisers, such as surveyors, fit-out contractors, consultants, and project managers. Our client-centric approach and expertise make us a trusted partner for businesses seeking legal advice and support in this area. Whether you're acquiring a new site, renegotiating an existing occupation, or dealing with a dispute, we can help. 

Our multi-discipline Corporate Real Estate team is made up of lawyers from our Corporate, Real Estate and Tax departments, all used to working closely with property clients on a wide variety of matters - including acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures and re-organisations. We regularly work on high level, complex deals across a variety of sectors, including office, student housing, hotels and co-working space – and often with an international element.

Our extensive experience means that we are used to dealing with different structures such as unit trusts and limited partnerships, and also that we understand that corporate transactions in the real estate sector need careful structuring, and we have cultivated strong relationships with intermediaries to ensure maximum value for our clients' businesses.

Our Estates Group looks after some of the largest estates in the country, working from our London, Oxford and Cambridge offices.

We stand apart from other law firms in this space, being capable of providing a genuinely full service to landed clients.  Like others, we have exceptional private client and rural property teams. Unlike others, we have expertise to handle the full range of risks and challenges that modern estates face and identify opportunities for them, making our Landed Estates offering unique.

Our planning and environmental group helps developers, occupiers, investors and public sector bodies to manage increasingly complex legislation and regulatory policy across a broad spectrum of strategic matters. Our work covers both public and private sector projects, all asset classes including mixed-use projects.

Our team’s range of specialisms means we are uniquely placed to advise on large development schemes and complex planning issues. We also act for high net worth individuals on high-profile matters including basement development applications.

Our Property Litigation Group has earned a reputation as one of London's largest and best specialist teams. Unlike other leading firms, we are equally at home advising high net worth individuals as we are leading UK property companies, developers, corporate occupiers, and investment funds. The property litigation lawyers in our team regularly participate in court and trial work, including in the Appeal Courts.

Recognised as assertive, highly skilled litigators, our team are also renowned negotiators, regularly conducting mediations, arbitrations and other dispute resolution alternatives. However, where litigation is inevitable we pursue your case with vigour and commercialism in equal measure.

Real estate development is becoming more challenging due to the increasing complexity of legislation and changing policies.

To meet these challenges we have put together a specialist team with extensive experience in property, planning, environment, construction and tax, and they have become the go-to real estate team on some of the sector’s most complex development schemes.

We are at home advising on the appropriate legal framework for each project, from the formation of development vehicles to securing finance and advising on the legal issues relating to both public and private sectors.

Our specialist team of real estate finance lawyers advises on how to structure financing, either to provide maximum security for you, as the lender, or maximum certainty as the borrower. We work with major banks and other leading property lenders, on a senior and mezzanine basis, as well as advising some of the industry’s highest profile property investment and development borrowers.

We have engaged with a new wave of real estate investors and funders who are emerging as key players in the property market. Consequently, we know how to look beyond the traditional areas of property finance and to embrace new technology in an ever-changing banking market.

Our Investment Group acts for a range of real estate clients: from large institutional companies and funds to boutique developers and entrepreneurs. We work with them on some of the sector’s most complex and demanding transactions.

These are often high-profile and high-value deals, covering commercial (including office, retail, leisure, hotels and industrial), mixed-use and high-end residential properties. Whether these are portfolio acquisitions, income-producing investments, development projects or trading transactions, we can guide you through the appropriate legal, regulatory and structuring complexities.

Our team of real estate tax lawyers advise on all aspects of property investment, development, finance and funds work.

Our clients include institutional clients, listed property companies, developers, local authorities and charities – both UK resident and non-UK resident. We advise on both direct and indirect taxes, including Stamp Duty Land Tax, VAT and business rates. 

Our Residential Property Group is one of the leading residential property practices in London. We specialise in prime UK residential property transactions both in the capital and the countryside.

Our Rural Property Group handles rural property across England and Wales from our London, Oxford and Cambridge offices.  We specialise in country houses, farms, estates, equestrian property, renewables, development land, Natural Capital and environmental projects, and rural commercial property portfolios.