Baines Wilson LLP’s ‘practical and commercially focused team’ excels in commercial and residential development projects thanks to the experience of the highly regarded Sean Logue and practice head Duncan Harty. Other areas of work for the practice span real estate management issues, property acquisitions and secured lending transactions. Laura Barnfield is also a key member of the Carlisle-based team, alongside associate Stephanie Bradley.

Clients praise Burnetts’ ‘excellent personal service’ and the ‘competence, capability and capacity of the team’, which handles the full spectrum of property work including portfolio management matters, landlord and tenant issues, developments, financing transactions and mandates in the tourism, education and mining sectors. Robbie Mather and Helen Hayward jointly lead the group; Mather leads the firm’s leisure and tourism work while Hayward focuses on landlord and tenant matters and retail leases. Ben Crystal and Rebecca Davidson support at associate level.

Swinburne Maddison LLP’s ‘engaged and informed team provides a seamless service’ and is ‘an outstanding firm on all counts’.  Based in Durham, the commercial property practice acts for a broad range of clients from individuals to developers and charities; while the majority of the firm’s clients are based in the North East, the team also advises national organisations. The group has also been a go-to name in the region for advice throughout the pandemic on the government’s CBIL scheme. The full-service practice is led by Victoria Walton, who focuses on development work, and also fields Simon Robinson, Kate Stephenson, who leads the residential conveyancing team, and managing associate Gillian Moir.

BHP Law’s commercial and agricultural property department acts across a varied range of industrial, retail, land, office and residential developments at a regional and national level, and leverages its agricultural expertise to assist with renewable energy projects and other rural diversification issues. Group head Peter Blackett primarily acts for rural and farming clients and is praised as ‘genuine, considerate, consistent and objective’.

In Darlington, Latimer Hinks Solicitors utilises the firm’s private client strength to advise on land development work, transactions involving landed estates, renewable energy projects and property acquisition funding issues. Team head Adam Wood is experienced in development sales, collaboration agreements and planning issues, while Martin Williamson heads up the residential property group and advises on agricultural, rural and residential properties.

Tilly Bailey & Irvine’s ‘superb service’ attracts a range of local and national clients to the Wynyard-based practice including landowners and farmers, which instruct the group on residential developments and agricultural land disposals. The team also counts several pension schemes as clients, which it advises on property work. Sara Garnett leads the practice, which also includes development specialist Andrew Beattie and associate Rhiannon Melrose, who handles landlord and tenant work.