Blake Morgan LLP‘s South Coast commercial property team focuses mainly on development, which it handles for clients across the commercial and residential fields. Oliver Sowton took over from Sean Palka as practice head after Palka departed the firm, and handles sale and purchase, asset management, and development for commercial clients including banks, trusts, tech companies, and port authorities, in addition to landlord and tenant and lease renewal work. Daniel Curtis and Elizabeth Covil also focus on commercial matters, with the former especially experienced in property finance, and the latter in sales and disposals. Iain Munro advises clients in the retail and care sectors. Hollie Jones is recommended for her broad experience, with particular strengths including portfolio management for landlords and corporate occupiers. John Shallcross has niche expertise in the implications of stamp duty land tax.

Continuing to grow on the back of the 2020 merger of Moore Blatch and Barlow Robbins, Moore Barlow boasts a large and varied team in the Hampshire area, with each partner heading a dedicated subdivision, under overall team lead Jo Farr in Guildford. Well known for his broad commercial property experience, Luc Algar heads the real estate division, with particular experience working for clients in the transport, logistics, and marine sectors. Julian Parkes is also noted in this area. Taking over from Stephen Ball, Sam Willey now heads the land development offering, which works closely with Zoe Owen‘s plot sales team to provide full-service support from project inception to disposal of finished units. Led by Jolanda Peters, the leasehold enfranchisement handles matters including lease extensions, collective enfranchisement, and right to manage claims, and was recently strengthened by the arrival of senior associate Louise Uphill, who is based in Richmond. Rural property, under Sarah Jordan, is also noted.

With a sizeable team split across two offices in Southampton and Winchester, Paris Smith LLP has a strong commercial property presence in the Hampshire area. John Mansell leads both the broader property and planning department and the dedicated development practice, where Victoria Onoufriou is recommended. Also in planning, commercial property partner Emma Pope focuses mainly on permitted developments. Rachel Saint and Janet May are deputy team leads in Southampton, where they deal with retail and leisure and planning applications, respectively. Hannah Winchester works alongside Saint in the retail and leisure team, with experience in landlord and tenant work, investment and development site acquisitions, and portfolio management. As deputy head in Winchester, Stuart Allen acts for clients including banks, sector-specialist lenders, and HNW private lenders. He also coleads the property finance team. Claire Egerton's construction team provides additional support, while Joanne Spittles focuses on high-value acquisitions and disposals. Lisa Busby provides specialist advice to clients in the telecoms sector.

Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP fields a significant commercial property team from its office in Southampton, with experience handling the full range of real estate work for a diverse client base. Tim Burbridge heads the team, and acts primarily on development matters including option agreements, conditional contracts, overage payments, site assembly, and profit participation. Jonathan Hobbs advises investors on disposals and acquisitions across all asset classes, and Alistair Walton acts for corporate occupiers undertaking strategic acquisitions, retail chains doing acquisitions and disposals, and clients dealing with significant property portfolios. William Akerman handles investment and development work, and Adam Taylor-Smith is strong on clients in the logistics and hotels sector. Nikki Powell was promoted to partner in July 2021, and is developing a niche practice assisting clients with large-scale property maximisation programmes. Particular focuses in recent years has been the renewable energy sector, where Anthony Alderman is a key contact, and maritime estate management, where legal director Joanna Beattie-Edwards shines. Stephen Baker is well regarded for his broad commercial property experience, and managing associate Georgina Hook provides strong support. Associate Brittany Beaumont, who joined in May 2021 from Clyde & Co, is also recommended.

With a client base including household names, developers, and investors, Clarke Willmott LLP's Southampton-based team is extending its reach across the region. Well regarded team head Peter Swinburn has specialisms including secured lending, development, and portfolio management, as well as landlord and tenant work. Joseph Campbell heads real estate banking and finance, and acts on acquisitions, disposals, and secured lending support. Andrew Cooper leads on investment, where he assists with acquisitions including retail and mixed-use centres, retail parks, and parades. Paul Hinett leads on ground rent investment, while Jin Takhar specialises in retail, portfolio management, and property finance. Kristian Johnson handles the real estate elements of mergers and acquisitions.

Southampton-based Tom Alder heads Lester Aldridge LLP‘s real estate team, which handles the full range of commercial property work in areas including housebuilding, finance, and management. Lucy Stevens is well known for her work for clients in the hotels and leisure sector, as well as her work for regional and national developers and landowners. The team was strengthened by the summer 2021 arrivals of partners James Realff and Bethan Dodd. Realff is experienced in all aspects of commercial property, while Dodd has specialist expertise in the healthcare sector, where she acts for NHS foundation trusts, primary care providers, and care home operators, as well as investors and developers. Rebecca Humm adds strength in planning, and associate Sian Rogers is also recommended.

Shoosmiths LLP's large and experienced real estate team handles a range of commercial property work in the core areas of development, infrastructure and transport, investment and finance, and occupier. Its broad client base includes housebuilders and developers as well as businesses in the telecoms, healthcare, and education sectors. Practice head Joanne McGuiness specialises in rail infrastructure and regeneration projects, on which she advises developers, local authorities, owners, and users. Sara Hampson is experienced in residential and mixed development, including site assembly, acquisition, and sale. Mehar Patel focuses on property finance, as well as development, landlord and tenant work, and portfolio management. He is also increasingly active in advising on ESG. Associates Emily Stocker and Jess Ready are well known for their work in investment, commercial development, and infrastructure, with Ready developing a niche focus on air traffic control work.

Headed by experienced property investment, finance, and development specialist Paul Longman, Trethowans LLP‘s commercial property group handles the range of matters for clients including developers and commercial tenants in a variety of sectors. The team works as one across multiple offices, with key support from Garry Treagust and Jenni Wicheard in Salisbury and James Kidner in Bournemouth. Treagust and Wicheard are well known in the pensions property sphere, while Kidner is experienced in residential work. Sarah Humphrey, based in Southampton, focuses on charity property. Salisbury-based partner Juliet Biddle is also recommended, as is associate Laura Towey.

The commercial property team in Foot Anstey's growing Southampton office handles a range of work for clients including housebuilders and developers, financial institutions, and businesses. Martin Hirst heads the team, as well as the firm's wider real estate group. Carol Phillips also heads the asset management team, and provides tenant legal services to household name clients in sectors including telecoms and transport. Tim Wheen joined in 2021, adding strength in site acquisitions, development, and planning. A key growth area is matters relating to nitrate neutrality: a complex and novel environmental issue with significant implications for development in the region, on which legal director Nicola Sutton  is a key contact. Marina Wickens acts for housebuilders and registered providers, and David Fanchi  provides property finance advice to lenders and borrowers. Associate Kate Taylor is also recommended.

Jonathan Fewster heads BDB Pitmans' real estate development department from the firm's London office. Deputy head Sarah Potter is based in Reading, where she heads the firm's Hampshire offering. The team acts for a client base including housebuilders and developers, port and harbour authorities, and local authorities. Sarah Potter brings broad experience including development agreements, conditional prelets, student accommodation, and property finance transactions. John Newton is also a key contact.

Irwin Mitchell fields a Southampton commercial property offering from its office in Chichester. Tina Webster is a key contact, with experience in large developments and regeneration schemes in both the commercial and residential sectors. She is especially well known for her work for clients in the education sector.