Real Estate Development

Our development expertise stretches back to the firm's foundation, and we have been involved in the development of much of the West End from the outset.

We thus have significant historic expertise on the regeneration of densely built urban environments within Central London and other city centres, but have also acted on schemes the length and breadth of the country.

We advise on office, retail, hotel, residential and, increasingly, mixed-use developments, but also across many other sectors, including industrial and logistics, the promotion of greenfield sites for residential development, student accommodation, private rental, senior living schemes and data centres.

We work with our tax and corporate teams on joint ventures and other co-investment structures to ensure assets are acquired and structured tax- efficiently, and with a view to long-term liquidity on sale or letting.

We have a deep understanding of our clients’ business plans and tailor our advice accordingly, whether they are looking to develop and then exit quickly, or to hold onto the asset for the long term.

Track Record

• The acquisition, redevelopment, reletting and sale by corporate disposal of 8 Fenchurch Place in the City for PMB Holdings and AREA
• The acquisition and redevelopment of Harcourt House, London W1, a mixed residential and commercial scheme on behalf of a private investor
• The exchange of a master development and promotion agreement for a new town in the East of England
• Purchase of a 1960s office block in London under immense time pressures in which we had only two working days to carry out full due diligence (including tenancy documents in respect of seven different tenants), negotiate terms and exchange for a client seeking to redevelop the site
• Purchase as a joint venture of a landmark London building as a medium term asset management and potential redevelopment play
• Advising on a long-term site assembly project for a potential residential scheme in Woolwich
• Acting on the purchase of an office park in Aylesbury with the benefit of planning permission for conversion to 146 units (with part of the residential conversion already having commenced) and the subsequent negotiation of a deferral of completion by six months as a result of COVID-19 uncertainty
• Advising on a £1 billion Liverpool city centre redevelopment which included the pre-letting of a cinema, two anchor stores, three separate car parks, and over 150 retail and leisure units. The scheme also included 600 residential apartments, two hotels and a five acre public park.