From its office in Leeds, Walker Morris LLP is a trusted advisor to the public and private sectors, with the firm acting on construction, infrastructure, and energy projects. Practice head Tom Peel has wide knowledge extending to industrial developments and modular construction. Jules Harbage is an expert in energy and infrastructure developments, while Carly Thorpe demonstrates aptitude in adjudication and construction disputes. Alastair Robertson is noted for his work on logistics and residential developments, and Alex Jones is engaged by clients in a variety of sectors including residential, BTR, and hospitality. Catherine Thompson is a name of note for developers and contractors seeking assistance on non-contentious matters.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- Alastair Robertson has the ability to explain complex legal matters in straightforward terms and always understands our commercial objectives. His collaborative approach and attention to detail gave us confidence at every stage of the project.
- We engaged Walker Morris on a complex project involving contract negotiations and risk management. Their expertise, commercial awareness, and practical approach were exceptional throughout. The team demonstrated a deep understanding of the construction industry and provided clear, strategic advice that helped us navigate challenging issues while keeping the project on track. They were highly responsive, proactive in identifying risks, and focused on delivering solutions rather than creating obstacles. We would not hesitate to recommend this team to anyone seeking experienced, knowledgeable, and results-driven construction lawyers. Their technical expertise, professionalism, and client-focused service set them apart from any other firms in the market.
- The capabilities in this firm's area are far-reaching, and the team has an excellent breadth of knowledge. The collaboration we have had has been great, particularly under time pressure. They understand the brief and are extremely reliable.
- As a Senior Associate in the Walker Morris team, Lucy Wild provides a consistently high level of client service, appropriately delegating to the team of trainee solicitors as necessary but always maintaining overall responsibility. Lucy is supported by Alastair Robertson as Partner in the team.
- Alex Jones has been excellent to work with on our construction projects. This is not an area we deal with regularly, but Alex tailored his advice throughout to ensure we felt confident in the process, understood the points being negotiated, and were able to make well-informed decisions. His fees were clearly set out from the outset and adhered to in full, which was a significant help for our internal budgeting. Alex was consistently responsive, readily available for calls, and went above and beyond at short notice to ensure the contracts were completed on time. Overall, Alex’s support has been invaluable, and we would be very happy to work with him again.
- Walker Morris has consistently provided an excellent service across all of the projects we have worked on with them. Their advice is always delivered promptly and is supported by strong commercial insight, reflecting both our specific needs and current market practice. Overall, their approach has been highly reliable and client-focused, and we value the quality of support they provide.
- Tom Peel - an all-round superb practitioner. Deborah Walls - extremely diligent, has loads of knowledge, and is a delight to work with. Zoe Williams - very knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with. Julia Bates - an up-and-coming associate. Works extremely hard and is very good.
- Superb lawyers. They have a huge amount of experience in construction disputes, particularly cladding and Building Safety Act/Defective Premises Act cases. They are astute tacticians. Lovely people to work with, who always go the extra mile for their clients.
- Alex Jones - Alex has rapidly become our go-to construction lawyer due to the seamless service he and his team provide. Alex takes the time to get to know the strengths and weaknesses of our business and understands where he can add value to us without increasing costs. Alex is commercial, sensible, and technically excellent. A rising star in the construction market.
- I have had dealings with both the construction dispute team and the non-contentious construction team. Construction dispute team This team is agile, available, strategic, pragmatic, cohesive, and commercially determined to achieve the best possible solution for their clients. In extremely challenging circumstances, the "stand out" talent for me was the team's ability and tenacity to accomplish an outcome that far exceeded what would have been achieved in court. Non-contentious construction team This team worked on novel, unprecedented documentation and was able to narrow down issues to such an extent that eventual agreement was achieved between the parties.
Key clients
- Port of Tilbury London Limited
- Gleeson Homes
- Gold Box CW Limited
- Starwood Capital Group
- Unite Group Plc
- Firethorn Trust
- Moda Living
- Leeds Bradford Airport Limited
- Lucozade Ribena Suntory Limited
- Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Work highlights
Acting for Unite Group Plc on major new-build developments across England, including large-scale schemes in Newcastle, Stratford, London, Bristol and Lambeth, as well as a portfolio sale of nine properties valued at over £200m.
Acting for Port of Tilbury London Limited, a major UK port operator, on its expansion programme and multiple high-value and complex construction and engineering contracts for major port facilities and equipment.
Acting for build-to-rent (BTR) provider Moda Living on the design and construction of multiple, large-scale, new-build residential BTR schemes across the UK.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Next generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Carly Thorpe
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Alex Jones
Practice head
Tom Peel
Other key lawyers
Jules Harbage; Carly Thorpe; Alastair Robertson; Alex Jones; Catherine Thompson; Lucy Wild