The Legal 500 > United Kingdom - Solicitors > London > Social housing: local authorities and registered providers

Trowers & Hamlins LLP's track record of acting for traditional housing associations and local authorities dates back more than 50 years. The size and scale of its practice marks the firm out as a clear market-leader, with it being able to draw upon strengths across a diverse range of practices to offer clients a wide pool of expertise. Its capabilities span areas such as social housing finance, employment, construction, real estate litigation, public procurement and planning, among others. Tonia Secker is the national head of the department; the group's varied workload includes PPP projects, partnerships, joint ventures (between local authorities, developers and housing associations), governance/regulatory advice and regeneration projects. In 2018, Secker, Paul McDermott and tax expert Michael Surry advised Homes England on developing a contractual framework to support the dispersal of over £1.5bn of grant funding to 23 strategic supply partnerships between the client and various housing associations, and to ensure compliance with the requirements of the state aid regime. In another matter, Jeremy Hunt and others assisted Karbon Homes with pre-bid issues connected with its proposed acquisition of 1,364 units (comprised of five lots) from the Guinness Partnership in the North East. Local authority work included Scott Dorling and real estate head Sara Bailey leading the advice to the London Borough of Enfield on the Meridian Water Regeneration Project. Andy Barnard is also noted. Ian Graham and Catherine Hand have retired.

Devonshires Solicitors LLP's footprint in the social housing sector is highlighted by the fact that it acts for 200 registered providers, which includes all of the London G15 members, and it has been a major player in the market since the early 1970s. It is at the forefront of the most current issues impacting the industry, working closely with key regulators, such as the Regulator of Social Housing, Homes England, Financial Conduct Authority and Charity Commission. The firm's multisciplinary capabilities enable it to advise clients on all types of complex issues, including those connected with housing management, development, governance and finance. Its first-rate team includes Andrew Crawford, Triya Maicha, Dan Moan and Elad Yasdi, who acted for Peabody Trust on its £350m acquisition of the Neptune Wharf and Monier Road sites on Fish Island in Hackney Wick, with planning consent to deliver 580 homes. On the contentious side, Donna McCarthy acted for Aldwyck Housing Group Limited in a High Court appeal brought by a tenant over the client's alleged failure to comply with its public sector equality duty under s.149 of the Equality Act 2010. Jonathan Jarvis, Maicha and Jonathan Corris made equity partners. Nick Billingham is also noted. Gareth Hall has stepped down from the partnership, but retains a role as a consultant. Andrew Cowan is another name to note.

Social housing is an area of focus at Winckworth Sherwood LLP, which acts for many of the UK's largest registered providers and local authorities, as well as various other stakeholders. Fielding a near 50-strong team, the firm is well-placed to advise on the largest and most complex development and regeneration projects nationwide, and it has also featured prominently in a number of the most significant mergers shaping the sector. Charlotte Cook is acting for Sage Housing Limited on the acquisition of 225 social housing units being developed on a BDW Trading Limited development site at Eagle Farm. In another notable mandate,  Charlie Proddow, Richard Tinham and senior associate Charlotte Harrison are advising Clarion on the acquisition of a land assembly site to be developed for circa 280 residential units for social housing use, and other leisure and retail units. Andrew Murray leads the experienced group, which also includes Ruth Barnes (head of the residential development sales team) and Will Rutter.

Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP's full-service capabilities enable it to advise registered providers and other clients on matters such as mergers, joint ventures and restructures; housing management and litigation; funding; construction and procurement; governance; and employment. With the Birmingham-headquartered firm having opened a Manchester office in January 2018, it has further strengthened its national presence. The team has a strong track record in high-profile and 'industry-first' mandates; Jonathan Cox's recent work included advising the National Housing Federation on its second Voluntary Right to Buy pilot - selling 3,000 homes across the Midlands to tenants - having previously advised the same client on its first pilot. Also notable is that senior partner Peter Hubbard, Cox and Gemma Bell assisted Red Kite Community Housing Limited with the creation of Twenty 11; this is a first-of-its-kind non-registered social landlord. Senior associate Phil Scully, who specialises in property litigation, joined from Gateley Plc in 2018. Victoria Jardine, Helen Tucker, Baljit Basra, Matthew Gregson and Andrew Millross are among other notable individuals.

Pinsent Masons LLP's national team undertakes a significant amount of work for London-based local authorities in relation to major housing regeneration schemes in the city. Practice head Anne Bowden, legal director Nick McDonald and senior associate Amy Walker are part of a team acting for Westminster City Council on a flagship 1,750-home housing regeneration project at Church Street. In another matter, Scot Morrison and others assisted the London Borough of Wandsworth with setting up a joint venture with Taylor Wimpey to deliver an innovative 2,000-home regeneration scheme at the Winstanley and York Road Estates near Clapham Junction Station. The firm is also involved in the Earls Court regeneration scheme, which is currently the largest housing scheme in London. Elsewhere, the firm is one of only seven to serve as legal advisers on Homes England's programme panel, with the group assisting the client with projects nationwide. David Meecham and Caroline Ramsay are among other notable individuals in the team.

Under the leadership of practice head Linda Convery, TLT's highly rated group maintains a strong profile in development and housing-led regeneration projects. With a team spanning the London and Bristol offices, it provides the gamut of advice to more than 40 registered providers, local authorities and private developers/contractors. Reflective of its standing in the market, the firm was reappointed to the London Borough Legal Alliance panel and is one of only two firms appointed to both lots: lot one covers regeneration, development, property and planning, and lot 2 includes litigation, contracts, procurement, property and employment. The firm is also on the panels of a sizeable number of G15 members. In 2018, Convery (who has more than 30 years of experience in the social housing sector) and Shazia Bashir assisted Swan Housing Association with preparing the certificate of title on its regeneration project at Blackwall Reach to facilitate the drawdown of a £50m loan facility from the GLA. Another more recent highlight saw legal director Hugh James and others assist Southern Housing Group with acquiring 500 units of housing stock, which are spread across seven local authority areas and consist of shared ownership, social rent, affordable rent and supported housing units. Associate Kristian Scholfield joined from Devonshires Solicitors LLP. Gillian Bastow has retired from private practice and Paul Butterworth moved to Ashfords LLP.

Bevan Brittan LLP's social housing practice is gaining momentum, with the firm strengthening its offering in 2018 by hiring Wendy Wilks and senior associate Fiona McDonald from Dentons. In addition, Sarah Greenhalgh joined the Birmingham office from Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP and Kate O’Brien was promoted to senior associate. The firm has also picked up a string of new clients, including London & Quadrant Housing Trust, Home Group and Network Homes. It acts for more than 70 housing associations, and also advises local authorities in London and further afield throughout England. The London practice is particularly well known for its strengths in property and development, corporate and finance, and housing management. In addition, the firm is also able to offer clients the expertise of practitioners who are knowledgeable in niche areas, such as social housing insurance, fraud, health and safety, and procurement. Steven Smith, Andrew Shaw and David Wardle are advising London Borough of Ealing on its £1bn Southall Gateway mixed-use development, which is set to create 4,000 new homes and significant new infrastructure. In 2018, Chris Harper, senior associate Andrew Spicer, and others assisted PFP Capital (part of the Places for People Housing Group) with the acquisition of the national assets of the Igloo Regeneration Fund (managed by Aviva Investors), which includes a number of large ongoing developments for both social and private housing, and other land for future residential development. Jonathan Turner is the overall head of the social housing practice. Neil Brand, Matthew Waters and planning head Kathryn Lawrance are also recommended.

Capsticks LLP's social housing practice has gone from strength to strength, since Chimi Shakohoxha and James Howard joined from Clarke Willmott LLP in 2017. With its team undergoing significant expansion, the firm now has one of the largest social housing practices in the UK. The firm is a particularly popular choice among registered providers; it now acts for more than 220. Shakohoxha heads up a specialist team which focuses on complex development and regeneration work. Another key figure in the housing management sphere is Daniel Skinner. Elsewhere, the firm provides corporate and commercial contracts advice, and its securitisation team (which is led by Susie Rogers) is experienced in property charging matters. Reflective of the strength of its reputation, in 2018, the firm was re-appointed to the Housing Associations’ Legal Alliance panel and it also won a place on the South East Consortium framework. Work highlights included Shakohoxha and others acting for Southern Housing Group as the lead developer on the acquisition of two adjacent sites at an industrial estate, which is part of the Fish Island redevelopment in northeast London. Associate Helen Gascoigne is another name to note.

Clarke Willmott LLP's sizeable team is spread across its seven offices nationwide, and comprises of lawyers with deep sector experience. Hannah Langford has previously worked as a property and contracts lawyer at Clarion Housing Group, while associate Muzammel Mian was formerly with the Metropolitan Housing Trust. Housing management and property development are particularly notable areas of strength, but the firm's work also covers corporate, governance, tax, regulatory, employment and human resources, property litigation, and banking and securitisation, among other disciplines. Illustrative of its presence in the market, the firm acts for more than 100 registered providers. In 2018, Lindsay Felstead was the lead adviser to Lewisham Homes on an ex parte application for an injunction to exclude a vulnerable tenant from a property where he had allowed unlawful occupiers to gain entry. On the non-contentious side, Vicky Kells and associate James Young assisted Bromford Housing Association Limited with title due diligence and charging of properties as part of a £300m bond issue. Kary Withers is the overall head of the social housing team, which also includes Oliver Smedley and Stuart Wilson.

Ashfords LLP demonstrates strong capabilities in the contentious and non-contentious aspects of social housing. The success of the firm's practice is evidenced by the fact that it acts for some of the largest social landlords in the country, as well as numerous London Boroughs and other local authorities. Its team includes Sian Gibbon and legal director Joanne Young, who are among a number of individuals with experience advising social landlords on housing litigation and tenancy management; the scope of their contentious work includes cases involving anti-social behaviour, disrepair claims and EPA claims, and homelessness reviews. Tim Heal and Michael Gay are active in property and development work, and their experience covers matters such as construction, site purchases and shared ownership. Elizabeth Gibson heads a team that assists public and quasi-public sector clients with public procurement and planning issues connected with residential-led developments. Vanessa James is an expert in employment law and data protection, while Patrick Blake is the head of construction.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (Europe) LLP - which had acted for Notting Hill Housing Group (NHHG) for over 35 years prior to its merger with Genesis Housing Association in 2018 - has been retained to advise the amalgamated entity (which is now known as Notting Hill Genesis). Of counsel Sara Branch acted for NHHG on the merger. Anne O’Neill heads up the team, which is active in all aspects of public and private sector regeneration projects and development schemes. Of counsel Jonathan Preece has particular experience assisting registered providers with acquiring land for development purposes, as well as its subsequent disposal. In addition to undertaking development matters, of counsel Nichola Padget has expertise in real estate disputes involving dilapidation, service charge and rent review issues, among others.

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP (which resulted from a recent merger between Penningtons Manches LLP and Thomas Cooper LLP) has successfully grown its social housing practice, with clients drawn to its broad range of services. In addition to advising existing clients, the firm has won mandates from new clients, including London & Quadrant, BPHA and Heylo. Linda Storey heads the team, which acts for more than 50 housing associations. It also generates work from local authorities, local housing companies, private developers and consultants. In 2018, Andrew Casstles led the advice to Richmond Housing Partnership Limited on a £3.1m land acquisition, which included assistance with the planning-related aspects of the transactions. In addition, Casstles and Storey acted for Metropolitan Thames Valley on the forward-funding acquisition and development of 58 affordable residential units by way of phased freehold block transfers and individual flat leases from a national developer. Other services span areas such as housing management, securitisation, construction and joint ventures. Peter Massey and Ben Robinson are also active practitioners in this space. Tim Johnson joined from Shoosmiths LLP.