Property

Headed by partner Jo Pickering, our commercial and public sector property team is highly experienced and skilled, offering a range of legal expertise.

We handle all aspects of the day-to-day management of large-scale property portfolios including commercial lettings of buildings ranging from car parks and leisure centres to retail and office units, licences and deeds of easement. We also handle the acquisition and disposal of commercial premises from individual units to multi-let buildings.

We specialise in large-scale redevelopment and regeneration projects, advising on transaction structure and site assembly, development agreements, leases, the appointment of consultants and collateral warranties, option agreements, mechanisms for overage payments and attendant security and the exercise of compulsory purchase powers.

Our experience of handling large-scale stock transfers is considerable. We act for providers of social housing - both local authorities and registered social landlords - and can advise on constitutional arrangements, the setting up of new industrial and provident societies, tenant consultation and Secretary of State consent and funding.

We also have a dedicated team dealing with right to buy and rent to mortgage sales under the Housing Act 1985 as well as discretionary scheme transactions including flexible ownership arrangements.

Some of our current and recently completed projects include -

• the redevelopment of a shopping centre in the North East involving a sale and leaseback
• the disposal of a development site in the Midlands involving the redevelopment of a major racecourse
• the transfer of four housing estates, raising in excess of £44m to complete a programme of redevelopment
• the redevelopment of two existing sites and the acquisition of a new site in West London to facilitate a joint social services and health authority project for social care facilities