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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.

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