Gowling WLG

Real estate group, housing development and regeneration.

Partner, Co-Head of Social Housing

Jacqueline Knox is a partner in Gowling WLG's Real Estate Group and Co-Head of the cross-firm social/affordable housing practice. Since 2013 she has been ranked as a Leading Partner for Social Housing in Legal 500 and in Chambers. Her wide-ranging experience over a period of more than 30 years, including eight years as a senior solicitor at Birmingham City Council, means that she has a unique skill set.

She assists Registered Providers of Social Housing (both for-profit and not-for-profit), and other affordable housing providers (local authorities, CICs and charities), together with investors in the sector, with their full range of real estate requirements, including land acquisitions, disposals, development agreements, joint ventures, grant and other public funding arrangements, investment models and residential tenancy agreements.

Part of Jacqueline's wider practice includes dealing with specific Regulator of Social Housing and Charity Commission related regulation, and she co-ordinates wider regulatory advice impacting RPs in the context of, for example, the CQC, the FCA and the Housing Ombudsman.

She has acted for some of the biggest names in the sector, including Sanctuary Group, Hyde Group, Clarion, Legal & General Affordable Homes, Triple Point Social Housing REIT, RCM Neo, Bournville Village Trust and KWHousing.

Experience

Jacqueline's experience includes:

Advising RPs on their Homes England and GLA affordable homes programmes including grant agreements; Acting on Investment-based JVs between RPs and developers. Leading the cross-firm team on complex, multi-layered acquisitions of RPs in distress and mergers with target RPs; Advising on the rules applying to disposals of charity land, and charitable vires issues around trading, and the use of non-charitable trading subsidiaries; Assisting with issues arising from the Regulator of Social Housing's Regulatory standards, including in relation to the application of the Rent Standard; and Developing tax efficient development structures. Recognition

"Jacqueline Knox is the main partner we work with, and she's really excellent." Legal 500

Bramleys, solicitors, Nottingham – trainee solicitor 1990-1992; solicitor 1992-1996; Birmingham City Council Legal Services – senior solicitor 1996-2004; Wragge & Co, associate 2004-2008; director 2008-2014; Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co, partner, 2014.

John Willmott Comprehensive; Nottingham Trent University – LLB(Hons) 1986-1989, Chester College of Law – Law Society Finals 1989/90.

Badminton, walking, theatre.