The growing national practice at Browne Jacobson LLP, which is led from Nottingham by Barry Sully and Gabor Taller, works with a wide range of housing associations and local authorities, as well as advising private sector entities delivering affordable housing. Taller has expertise in social housing development and funding, while Sully has impressive experience of residential development, regeneration projects and major joint ventures. Recent areas of growth for the team have included site acquisitions and work involving shared ownership plot sales, as well as securitisation matters.
Social housing in East Midlands
Browne Jacobson LLP
Practice head(s):
Barry Sully; Gabor Taller
Key clients
Midland Heart
Great Wyte
Platform
EMH Housing and Regeneration Limited
Nottingham Community Housing Association
Longhurst Group
Minster Property Group
Local Space
Metropolitan Thames Valley
Homes England
South Lakeland District Council
Community Housing
North West Leicestershire District Council
Peak Rural Housing
Nottingham City Homes
Tuntum Housing Association
Hibiscus Housing
Nottingham City Homes
Pelham Homes
EMH Care and Support
Work highlights
- Advised Longhurst in relation to its purchase and development of 100 new affordable homes in Witham St Hughes in partnership with Countryside Properties.
- Advised private sector developer Minster Property Group on its partnership with Harborough District Council and Stonewater on the purchase, sale and development of a 70-home new affordable housing development in the village of Lutterworth.
- Advised Local Space on its first £40m charging of affordable homes as part of its £61m private placement with MetLife Investment Management.
Freeths LLP
The social housing team at Freeths LLP is led from Nottingham by experienced director Sarah Rowe; she works with clients including housing associations, registered providers (RP) and local authorities on a wide range of matters. Other prominent names include real estate partner Patrick Adie, who handles site acquisitions, and director Caroline Wofinden, who heads up the residential new build and social housing plot sales team. Recent areas of growth have included acting for RP clients working in partnership with Homes England to deliver the 2021-2026 Affordable Homes Programme.
Practice head(s):
Sarah Rowe
Other key lawyers:
Patrick Adie; Caroline Wofinden; Rachel Clarke
Key clients
Nottingham Community Housing Association Limited
Torus62 Limited
Kirklees Council
Citizen Housing Group Limited
Jigsaw Homes Midlands
Longhurst Group Limited
Davidsons Developments Limited
United Living Limited
Midland Heart Limited
BDW Trading Limited
Work highlights
- Advised Stockport Homes Limited on the disposal of a rolling number of units.
- Advised BDW Ashlawn Road on the sale of affordable units which made up approximately 40% of the site.
- Advised NCHA Derwent Street on the acquisition of the client’s largest solely affordable development to date.
Wilson Browne
Wilson Browne Solicitors, which has six offices across the East Midlands and North Northamptonshire, bolstered its social housing team during 2021 with the hire of solicitor Michael Goldfinch from Dentons. The practice is led from Kettering by Tom Warrender, who is a member of the Social Housing Law Association and can draw on close to 20 years of experience in the sector. The team's key clients include East Midlands affordable homes provider EMH Housing & Regeneration; work covered includes acquisitions, development and a range of contentious matters.
Practice head(s):
Tom Warrender
Other key lawyers:
Emma Oliver; Michael Goldfinch
Key clients
Abbeyfield Dorcas Society Limited / Amani Care Limited
EMH Housing & Regeneration Limited
Park Lodge Project
Work highlights
- Acted for EMH Housing & Regeneration Limited on the acquisition of land for the development of 78 affordable housing units at Branston Locks with a development value of £12.1m.
- Acted for EMH Housing & Regeneration Limited on the affordable housing development and acquisition of 55 units in Thrapston with a development value of £7.1m.
- Acted for EMH Housing & Regeneration Limited on the acquisition of 32 affordable housing units at a site in Desford for £3.8 million.