The Legal 500

United Kingdom > North > Real estate > Commercial property: Newcastle

Editorial sections

Other

All countries

Property finance specialist John Ralph is the key figure in the team at Dickinson Dees LLP. It advised Gap on the completion of eight store leases, and is one of two firms nationally to advise Partnerships for Schools on the acquisition and development of Free School sites across the country. It remains a panel firm for Bellway. Duncan Fisher is recommended for his private housebuilding practice.

Eversheds LLP’s team is valued for its ‘good-quality work, and excellent partners with leading industry knowledge’. Adam Heather leads a multi-faceted team which includes the ‘faultless’ Adrian Stanley. It advised the public sector partners, including Sunderland City Council, on the joint acquisition and redevelopment of the Vaux Brewery site; and also acted on the £400m disposal of a London shopping centre and its portfolio. Other clients include HSBC, Barclays and Greggs.

Muckle LLP’s department is headed by the ‘excellent and conscientious’ Jonathan Combe, and was boosted by the arrival of Adrian Hill from Eversheds LLP and associate Gail Marshall from Hay & Kilner. New client wins include Northumberland Estates, Newcastle University and The Football Association. The team is noted for its ‘exceptional’ response times and high levels of expertise.

Sintons LLP’s ‘excellent’ team of ‘specialists’ is headed by Andrew Walker and Mark Dobbin. In 2011, the group acted for The Church Commissioners for England on the £18m sale of Trafalgar Way Retail Park to Prudential. The firm was recently appointed to advise Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and North of England Civic Trust, while other clients include One NorthEast and Banks Group.

Lesley Fairclough leads the team at Ward Hadaway, in which Simon Errington and Andrea Proudlock are also key figures. It has strong ties to the public sector and advises over 70 NHS trusts, with recent work including advising a trust on the development of a new hospital. Other clients include Aldi, Sage and Narec. Former team head Simon Priestley left for Square One Law.

Watson Burton LLP saw a number of partner departures in 2011, with Richard Freeman Wallace joining Hay & Kilner, Matthew Dalzell joining Squire Sanders LLP in Leeds, and Henry Cave leaving to establish a private venture. The practice is now headed by Tracy Hall, who joined from Cobbetts LLP. Work highlights included advising Aviva on the purchase of ground rent portfolios, and Bellway Homes on the acquisition of residential development sites.

Paul Earnshaw at DWF LLP advised The Go-Ahead Group on its purchase of Hexham bus depot, which included a listed building leased to the local authority. It also advised St Georges Securities on the sale of Belasis Hall Business Park.

Hay & Kilner’s ‘strong’ team was bolstered in 2011 by the arrival of Richard Freeman-Wallace from Watson Burton LLP, offsetting Gail Marshall’s departure for Muckle LLP. Work highlights included providing portfolio management advice to Chisholm Bookmakers and Circle Red Group. Nicola Tiffen is an ‘extremely efficient specialist’.

Mincoff Solicitors LLP’s seven-fee-earner team is led by Howard Gold. Highlights for the group included advising the Factory Shop and The Work Stores on new leases and lease extensions. It also advised on the reconstruction and strip-out of Automatic Retailing prior to the sale of the business.

Optima Legal is an impressive firm with a ‘very experienced and knowledgeable team’. Alexandra Westwood and Jonathan Yates are the key partners, and advised Bluedene on a new sublease of premises in Leeds.

Short Richardson & Forth LLP provides ‘excellent service delivery from instruction and agreement of priorities to completion’. David Richardson has a ‘valuable blend of technical ability and commercial acumen’.

Carol Bailey leads the ‘excellent’ specialist healthcare team at Hempsons, which acts for a large number of healthcare bodies across the range of commercial property matters.

Jacksons Law advised on various residential and commercial development schemes for clients including Cussins Homes, Linden Homes and North East Business Park. Department head Geoff Skeoch is recommended for his breadth of knowledge and expertise.

Samuel Phillips Law Firm advises businesses and private individuals on sales and purchases of property. Michael Storey is the contact.

Search News and Articles

Press releases

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to

Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to

Press Releases in the UK

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to
© 2013 www.legal500.com