United Kingdom > East Midlands > Real estate
Commercial property: Nottingham and Derby
Commercial property: Nottingham and Derby
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- Browne Jacobson LLP Nottingham
- Freeth Cartwright LLP Derby, Nottingham
- Shoosmiths Nottingham
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- Eversheds LLP Nottingham
- Flint Bishop LLP Derby
- Gateley Nottingham
- Geldards LLP Derby, Nottingham
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- Actons Nottingham
- Fraser Brown Bingham, Nottingham, Radcliffe-on-Trent
- Nelsons Solicitors Limited Derby, Nottingham
- Rothera Dowson Nottingham
- Roythornes LLP Nottingham
- Shakespeares Nottingham
- Smith Partnership Derby
Browne Jacobson LLP stands out for the diversity of its practice, which ranges from commercial retail and major development projects for luxury brands such as Dior through to advice to the public sector on issues from regeneration to academy conversion and social housing developments. Caroline Green’s retail team advised on the site assembly of Louis Vuitton’s Maison store in New Bond Street in 2010; Stewart Gregory’s health group advised on a new £22m joint access centre under the Nottingham LIFT scheme; the public authority team advised on the redevelopment of Cotgrave Colliery; and the development team was instructed in relation to the 400-acre urban extension to the town of Mansfield.
Freeth Cartwright LLP has a sizeable team with a ‘wide field of expertise’, and provides ‘clear, commercial advice quickly’. The practice includes the sale and purchase of property for investment purposes, where recent clients include care home groups and funds. It also handles development matters (where recent projects include the Loughborough University SportPark), and landlord issues. Darren Williamson now heads the group, and investment specialists John McLauchlan and Mark Gradwell are also recommended.
Shoosmiths has a strong and growing list of retail clients; it maintains a heavy transactional workload for Alliance Boots, completing £80m of disposals in 2010, and also acts for IKEA and WH Smith. The ‘excellent, very responsive, proactive and extremely commercial’ team includes ‘clear and personable’ practice head David Morley and Deborah Gordon Brown. Helen Parrott is ‘definitely one to watch – she is excellent’.
Eversheds LLP is involved in major developments nationally, including the Bargoed retail and leisure scheme, in which the Nottingham team, headed by Brendan Walsh, has a major part. Stephen Hill’s renewable energy practice also generates instructions for the real estate group.
Flint Bishop LLP provides ‘an excellent, first-class service’ to clients such as Clowes Developments and Peveril Securities on regional projects and major schemes, such as a recent £9m site acquisition in Manchester. Heather Dixon advised on a 1 million sq ft industrial e-commerce distribution centre site lease to Marks & Spencer.
Increasingly active in corporate recovery property transactions in 2010, Gateley receives instructions from nearly all the national lending banks and handles acquisitions for pension trustees. Andy Matthews acted on the acquisition of Corngreaves Hall for development in 2010; and ‘outstandingly good’ associate Elly Duggins advised a luxury goods retailer on store lettings. The ‘responsive, accurate, attentive and very reliable’ Adam Youatt joined from Shakespeares in May 2011.
Geldards LLP has a ‘strong reputation’ locally and is instructed by the likes of Alliance Boots, Pendragon, and Tesco for retail matters, with Ellis Gardner-Browne a key contact. In 2010, property finance specialist David Watson acted for Barclays on funding and security arrangements for a major agricultural investment; and ‘strong property lawyer’ Jamie Gordon led on Miller Birch’s acquisition of a pre-let site in Nottingham.
Actons is noted for its responsiveness to the needs of its clients, which range from individuals to SMEs and banks. The practice includes mortgage transactions, acquisitions, relocations and leases. Susan Lawson and Amanda Gordon are appreciated for their ‘first-rate service’.
At Fraser Brown, Patrick Wood leads on development, investment and lease matters for clients in the retail, leisure and industrial sectors.
Nelsons Solicitors Limited shows a ‘high level of expertise, interpersonal skills and client care’. It handles residential and commercial development instructions and landlord and tenant work for developers, pension fund trustees, banks and retailers.
Tom Redgate heads Rothera Dowson’s team, which handles portfolio work as well as the acquisition, management and disposal of industrial, office, retail and licensed properties.
A recent highlight for Fran Muldoon and Andrew Czajka at Roythornes LLP was advising on the property aspects of the construction of a £300m biomass power station.
Shakespeares has experience acting for a range of developer and investor clients, and assisted Bildurn Properties in relation to site assembly and development aspects of a mixed-use scheme, as well as acting on the purchase of investment properties from Wales to East Anglia, but recently saw the departure of practice head Adam Youatt to Gateley.
At Smith Partnership, practice head Peter Smith advised on a substantial refinancing involving a 100-property development; landlord and tenant specialist Sharon Molloy assisted Global Crossing Telecommunications with its relocation to new headquarters in London; and aviation expert Jo Backhouse was involved in the Heathrow Terminal 5 property reorganisation. Martyn Scott-Jones is active in the licensed property field.
Commercial property: Elsewhere in the East Midlands
Commercial property: Elsewhere in the East Midlands
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- Freeth Cartwright LLP Leicester
- Gateley Leicester
- Harvey Ingram LLP Leicester
- Hewitsons LLP Northampton
- Howes Percival LLP Leicester, Northampton
- Spearing Waite LLP Leicester
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- Nelsons Solicitors Limited Leicester
- Roythornes LLP Spalding
- Wilkin Chapman Grimsby, Lincoln
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- Chattertons Horncastle
- Langleys Lincoln
- Marrons Leicester
Freeth Cartwright LLP delivers ‘good value for money’, with clients singling out Richard Osborn and Sophie Philippon-Thomas. The team demonstrates ‘good in-depth knowledge of property law and an understanding of commercial needs’.
Gateley’s recent activity has been based around corporate transactions, where associate Colin Gittus ‘seems to know his subject matter very well indeed’, across portfolio, development, transactional and secured lending matters. Development specialist Michael Park advised on the acquisition of a 350-acre warehouse site.
Harvey Ingram LLP’s retail team assists clients such as Domino’s Pizza and Vision Express with site acquisitions, and in 2010 acted for a retail park owner in relation to strategic land assembly. The investment and finance team supports pension funds and is active in corporate transactions. The firm also handles development and regeneration matters for Midlands groups such as Persimmon Homes.
The new head of Hewitsons LLP’s team, construction specialist Tim Richards, operates out of Milton Keynes, with three partners in Northampton handling investment acquisitions and disposals, residential development, and commercial leases for education and local authority bodies, investment funds, and developers.
Howes Percival LLP handles funding and acquisition matters for a range of developer clients, and recently assisted Bloor Homes in relation to sites in Cheltenham, Leicestershire and Pershore. Recent work for practice head John Herd includes a pre-let for Hampton Brook estates.
Spearing Waite LLP has a ‘dynamic approach’, and acts for clients such as David Wilson Homes, Poundstretcher and new gain Jelson. It is instructed on a variety of matters locally and beyond, recently advising The White Company on the acquisition of new headquarters in London, and Dunelm on the expansion of its Stoke distribution centre. Tom Bower is ‘extremely tenacious, commercial, friendly, pragmatic and knowledgeable’.
At Nelsons Solicitors Limited, James Coningsby ‘knows his stuff’’ and ‘sees the bigger picture’, and acts for a variety of banking, retail, charity and pension fund clients. In 2010 he acted for NatWest on a £1.5m student accommodation development.
Roythornes LLP’s practice includes sales and purchases of rural and agricultural land for development.
One of Lincolnshire’s largest teams, Wilkin Chapman gained new clients including Total Lindsey Oil Refinery and St John Ambulance in 2010. The ‘exceptional’ Ruth Brewin is ‘very sound in depth of legal and commercial understanding’.
Chattertons’ senior commercial and agricultural property lawyers are based in eight locations around the region, and provide specialist advice on development, construction and planning.
Langleys continues to advise on local acquisitions and sales of land for development, including funding matters.
Marrons’ practice ‘answers all a developer’s needs’; its experience includes sales and purchases, and also planning and environmental law matters. ‘Solid professional’ Kevin Sumner is ‘cool under pressure’, and Louise Mee is ‘resourceful and dedicated’.
Construction
Construction
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- Freeth Cartwright LLP Nottingham
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- Browne Jacobson LLP Nottingham
- Geldards LLP Derby
- Harvey Ingram LLP Leicester
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- Eversheds LLP Nottingham
- Flint Bishop LLP Derby
- Nelsons Solicitors Limited Derby
- Shakespeares Nottingham
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- Gateley Nottingham
- Howes Percival LLP Leicester
Freeth Cartwright LLP’s nationally active construction team ‘stands head and shoulders above its peers’ for service levels and the breadth of its practice, which spans initial procurement advice; drafting and negotiation of tender and project documents; dispute resolution and litigation; and training to clients from the public and private sectors. Chris Holwell is ‘client and solution focused’, and is acting for developer MF Strawson Limited on the £45m Newark town centre redevelopment and on a combined heat and power plant for Loughborough University. Practice head Guy Berwick is ‘extremely knowledgeable and practical, adaptable and aggressive if required’.
Browne Jacobson LLP handled a growing number of mediations in 2010, and Peter Westlake successfully negotiated an agreement for GLF Construction Corporation in a $100m cross-border dispute with National Energy Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago. The team also acted for North Midland Construction, advising on an £85m framework agreement with Severn Trent; and Kettering Borough Council on the construction contracts for the regeneration of Kettering town centre.
Geldards LLP’s team includes senior associate Richard Brookes, for non-contentious instructions from public authorities, developers and contractors; and associate Andrew Poyner, a former quantity surveyor. ‘The firm is quick to pull in resources from other offices to offer technical advice and provides a comprehensive service with knowledgeable staff’. Brookes advised Miller Birch on Speedo’s new £5m global headquarters in 2010.
Besides regularly advising on residential and commercial developments, Martin Jones at Harvey Ingram LLP has experience in more esoteric areas such as mining, water control and quarrying. The firm advised stakeholders in the new £4.5m Leicester Speedway in 2010.
Eversheds LLP’s team is Birmingham based, but includes two solicitors in Nottingham. Rebecca Warden was involved in advising RWE Npower Renewables on contracts for the Gwynt y Môr offshore windfarm in 2010.
Thomas Jacobs’ construction and engineering practice at Flint Bishop LLP receives regular instructions on contentious and non-contentious matters from Bowmer & Kirkland and Clowes Developments. In 2010, he advised on the procurement of a £4m regional medical centre for Primary Horizons, and handled several disputes for Global Energy Solutions concerning the procurement of a waste-to-energy system.
Deborah Ritchie now heads Nelsons Solicitors Limited’s practice following the departure of Jocelyn Taylor. The team advised Universal Design Studios on contractual documentation for works to retail premises, and on the contentious side handled several £1m-plus adjudications.
Shakespeares has the highly experienced Richard Brackenbury as its Nottingham-based practice head, advising medium-sized developers and contractors on mainly contentious issues. The firm also handled non-contentious matters relating to waste-to-energy projects and processing plants. The team was boosted by the addition of engineering and adjudication specialists in Birmingham, through its merger.
Gateley’s real estate and banking practices are complemented by associate Alex Smith’s capabilities in the negotiation and documentation of building contracts and construction security.
Pam Allardice at Howes Percival LLP is a resource for the firm’s four offices nationally; her experience includes retail and institutional developments, risk management, and disputes.
Environment
Environment
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- Browne Jacobson LLP Nottingham
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- Eversheds LLP Nottingham
- Freeth Cartwright LLP Nottingham
- Marrons Leicester
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- Roythornes LLP Spalding
At Browne Jacobson LLP, Richard Barlow’s team acts for a mix of public sector and commercial clients, including some 150 local authorities. Andrew Hopkin leads on regulatory prosecutions, recently assisting Wilkinsons with discharge and noise issues. The firm is preeminent in the field of nature conservation, and was recently appointed to advise the Marine Management Organisation.
Eversheds LLP has a ‘very knowledgeable and professional team’ that includes Louise Howarth in Nottingham.
Freeth Cartwright LLP advises on the planning and development aspects of property transactions. Chris Waumsley leads on environmental impact assessments and enforcements, and Robert Waite has ‘immense experience of environmental matters and provides a well-measured service’.
Marrons has ‘wide knowledge and considerable experience of inquiries and administrative court litigation’. The ‘very user-friendly’ Emma Tattersdill is ‘an extremely effective environmental litigator’, and also provides transactional and planning support on matters involving contaminated land, emissions, waste management, nuisance and nature conservation.
Roythornes LLP’s environmental expertise includes mineral extraction matters.
Planning
Planning
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- Eversheds LLP Nottingham
- Marrons Leicester
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- Browne Jacobson LLP Nottingham
- Freeth Cartwright LLP Nottingham
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- Harvey Ingram LLP Leicester
- Hewitsons LLP Northampton
Eversheds LLP is a leading firm nationally for residential development planning instructions, and is expanding its profile in relation to renewable energy, utilities and minerals projects for new clients EDF, REG Windpower, Anglian Water and Tarmac. Partly based in Birmingham, Stuart Andrews is noted for his skills as a strategist and advocate; he acted for Catesby Properties in a challenge to the Secretary of State’s decision regarding a housing site in Bude, and also advised it in relation to a development involving 5,000 homes and a relief road in Newark.
Marrons has a national reputation for its housing and mixed-use development work, acting on developer-promoted schemes and for local authorities and landowners. The three-partner team is very experienced in contentious matters, and Morag Thomson has particular experience in progressing major development schemes through planning appeals. In 2010 she advised in relation to a sustainable urban extension to Cambridge. Simon Stanion advised the developer in relation to a hotel at Heathrow Airport. Peter Marron is now a consultant.
Browne Jacobson LLP’s practice leverages the firm’s longstanding relationships with public sector bodies. It handled compulsory purchase orders for Natural England; secured a development and s106 agreement for the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, on the Wornington Green redevelopment; and conducted enforcement matters for Staffordshire County Council, in relation to a sand quarry. Anna Eastgate is ‘outstanding in her precision and resilience and consequent effectiveness’.
Freeth Cartwright LLP’s three specialist planning practitioners have extensive experience in both strategic matters for developers and granting authorities, and as guides through city and town planning procedures for housebuilders and commercial entities such as Gala Coral.
Harvey Ingram LLP has a varied caseload, recently advising on development matters for housing schemes and a mixed-use development in the region. Paul Hunt completed a High Court recovery of s106 monies for a local authority.
Hewitsons LLP’s Cambridge-based practice is ‘knowledgeable, enthusiastic and responsive to tight timescales’, and acts for clients across the public, private and third sectors, including the Environment Agency and the RSPB.
Property litigation
Property litigation
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- Browne Jacobson LLP Nottingham
- Shoosmiths Nottingham
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- Flint Bishop LLP Derby
- Freeth Cartwright LLP Nottingham
- Geldards LLP Derby
- Howes Percival LLP Leicester
- Nelsons Solicitors Limited Derby
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- Harvey Ingram LLP
- Hewitsons LLP Northampton
- Roythornes LLP Spalding
- Shakespeares Nottingham
- Spearing Waite LLP Leicester
Browne Jacobson LLP’s growing team gained new clients including the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, adding to existing clients such as Alliance Boots, which it advises on matters such as contested lease renewals, and local fire authorities. Mark Aldrich recently acted on a £6m dispute concerning the redevelopment of a disused fire station.
Shoosmiths regularly handles over 500 lease renewal claims annually for clients such as Alliance Boots, WH Smith and HMV. A highlight of 2010 was acting for the developer in HXRUK II (CHC) Ltd v Heaney, involving alleged breach of a right to light. Guy Willetts heads the team. Libby Shirtcliffe left the firm in 2010.
Flint Bishop LLP handles tenant and lease issues for Marston’s and others, handling three successful forfeitures in 2010. It also advises housebuilders and owners on claims relating to boundaries and contractual provisions.
Freeth Cartwright LLP advises clients including Experian and the Co-operative Group on landlord and tenant issues. Senior associate Paul Tomkins assisted with the successful pursuit of an insolvent tenant for rental payment in London.
Mark Hacking at Geldards LLP assists the firm’s major retail sector clients with contested lease renewals, rent review disputes and dilapidation claims. The team successfully defended major cases relating to the grant of a lease and landlords’ deposit terms in the Court of Appeal.
Howes Percival LLP continues to advise retail sector clients on landlord and tenant disputes and general property claims, including boundary disputes, and is increasingly handling matters involving tenant insolvency.
Simon Trees joined Nelsons Solicitors Limited in 2010, bringing additional experience in commercial rent recovery; possession and breach of covenant proceedings; and dilapidation and right of way/boundary claims. The team is headed by Simon Waterfield, and has recently advised a number of major developers in relation to tenant break clauses and disputes over land.
Harvey Ingram LLP has established online fixed-fee services for residential landlords, supporting its property and development teams. Its current caseload includes a high-level dispute over rights of way.
John Shephard at Hewitsons LLP handles a variety of landlord and tenant disputes, and issues over access, development and boundary rights.
Agricultural disputes specialist Alan Plummer at Roythornes LLP recently obtained vacant possession for the development of a £300m energy park.
With the departure of specialist property litigator John Frith, Marie Evans now leads on contentious issues for Shakespeares’ real estate clients, drawing on support from the West Midlands.
Jonathan Wheeler at Spearing Waite LLP gives a ‘frank, honest and open analysis of the issue and the potential remedies’, and acts for a growing number of national retail clients and other commercial landlords.
Social housing
Social housing
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- Browne Jacobson LLP Nottingham
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- Freeth Cartwright LLP Nottingham
- Harvey Ingram LLP Leicester
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- Roythornes LLP Spalding
- Wilson Browne Northampton
Browne Jacobson LLP leads the field in terms of size of client base and depth of expertise. Barry Sully’s team has been advising housing associations, local authorities and the HCA in relation to the raft of policy and funding developments in the sector, from funding arrangements to joint venture structuring of projects, such as for Staffordshire Moorlands and Harvest Housing. The team is ‘very professional and customer focused, and value for money’.
Freeth Cartwright LLP acts for a broad client base of RSLs, national housebuilders and commercial developers, and is ‘extremely experienced’ and ‘delivers the highest-quality service’. The practice includes refinancings, the acquisition and sale of land and s106 units, the sale of affordable housing, and grant agreements . Gary Reynolds is ‘flexible and pragmatic’, and ‘knowledgeable’.
Harvey Ingram LLP is recommended by developers for its experience in the acquisition of sites and security charging, as well as in issues encountered by registered providers.
Roythornes LLP acts for seven registered providers in Lincolnshire on the purchase, development and sale of sites; right to buy/acquire; and all aspects of large-scale housing management, including litigation.
Wilson Browne is ‘among the very best’ for development work with RSLs, assisting with site acquisitions and management issues. Associate Tom Warrender handles an increasing volume of mortgage rescue scheme instructions.