The Legal 500 > United Kingdom - Solicitors > South West > Commercial property: Bristol

The 'proactive and responsive’ Burges Salmon LLP provides a 'good cross-section of knowledge, personalities and experience' in commercial property across key sectors, notably energy, transport, rural estates, and hotels and leisure. As well as strength in international work, the firm has a particular focus on the nuclear and renewables field. Nuclear industry expert Paul Browne co-leads the practice with Richard Clark, who is known for transactional real estate asset management, investment and development, acting for public and private sector clients. Also recommended are Richard Read, who specialises in the mainstream offices, retail and industrial asset classes, as well as student accommodation, hotels and leisure; Euan Bremner, who is head of the energy, power and utilities sector group; and legal director Chris Bartlett, who advises on a range of real estate matters.

Osborne Clarke specialises in development, transactional and leasing work across the spectrum of real estate asset classes. The firm advises on mixed-use, residential and commercial real estate, as well as providing expertise in litigation and a London transactional practice. Michelle McGurl leads the team and focuses on residential and mixed-use development work. Also notable are Ian Wilkinson, whose strengths include acquisitions, disposals, forward funding and asset management; David North, who acts for developers and investors in commercial real estate and student accommodation; Alice Conway, who has experience in investment and development matters across asset classes; and associate director Joanna Risdale, who advises clients on a range of real estate transactions. Steven Schofield joined the firm from Thrings LLP in 2019.

The national practice of Bevan Brittan LLP specialises in real estate development, with an emphasis on advising national landowners. The firm has a growing private sector practice, complementing its traditional focus on the local authority, housing and healthcare sectors. The practice also advises on the disposal and redevelopment of hospital sites in London, as well as regeneration sites for London boroughs. Mark Calverley leads the team and specialises in regeneration and development projects.

Experienced in the housebuilding, commercial development and investment sectors, Clarke Willmott LLP handles property portfolio management, property acquisitions and disposals for local and national clients. The firm provides expertise in the telecoms and renewable energy sectors, including advising on purely energy-based transactions and mixed-use regeneration and development schemes. The ‘always trustworthy and reassuring’ William Juckes leads the practice and specialises in property portfolio management.

TLT specialises in property matters related to the energy and leisure sectors, as well as electric vehicles charging structure work. Renewable energy expert Maria Connolly leads the team and advises on a range of property matters, including the acquisition of energy projects, drafting bespoke documentation, negotiation of exclusivity agreements and due diligence. She can call on the expertise of Julia Lucas, who focuses on the leisure, food and drink sectors, notably acting for brewers and pub companies.

Full-service firm Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP has particular property expertise in the retail and energy sectors. The firm’s experience also covers rail infrastructure, institutional investment and public sector development. Simon Hughes focuses on project development work for new generation projects. He co-leads the team with Katherine Douglas, who advises on the drafting and negotiating of development agreements and building leases, as well as negotiating pre-lets for landlords and tenants. Also notable is Andrew Harding, who specialises in real estate institutional investment and development projects.

Ashfords LLP specialises in the residential housing and retail sectors, particularly franchising-related work. The practice is co-led by Andrew Worley, who has expertise in the leases of retail property and purchasing property for personal pension schemes; Paul Butterworth, who advises housing clients on major regeneration and development projects; and Kate Topp, who has experience acting for residential developers, landowners and promoters in relation to residential development. The team was also boosted by the 2019 arrivals of associate Ian Tompkins from Osborne Clarke and legal director Ben Tarrant from Thrings LLP.

Foot Anstey covers the spectrum of commercial property work, acting for landowners, developers, corporate occupiers and infrastructure companies. The firm provides experience in property portfolio management and the sale and acquisition of freehold property, as well as specialising in development and infrastructure projects. The team is co-led by Martin Hirst, who focuses on developments, from site acquisition through to disposal; Stuart Cleak, who has particular strength in the renewables and energy sectors; and finance expert Imam Qazi.

Thrings LLP advises on residential developments, corporate occupier matters and secured lending, particularly acting for high-street lenders and modern lenders. The firm also has experience handling inward-bound development work from Singapore and Hong Kong. The team is co-led by Warren Reid, Ben Jones, Gemma Featonby and Robert Barnes. In 2019 Steve Schofield left the firm for Osborne Clarke and Ben Tarrant departed for Ashfords LLP.