Real estate services
Real estate affects all businesses. You could be a private developer developing a new-build, mixed-use scheme; a public sector body driving a regeneration project; an end occupier looking to secure its head office; or a retailer looking to re-gear its current occupation. You could be an operator rolling out an aggressive acquisition programme.
Whoever you are and whatever sector you’re working in, we offer a heavy-weight, commercial real estate team of over 100 lawyers across our offices, who are trusted to get projects and transactions over the line efficiently and effectively.
The strength of our real estate team lies not just in the quality of our people, but also in the deliberate mix of our private sector, public sector and third sector work. Our clients tell us that our ‘cross sector’ knowledge adds real value to the service we provide.
Our people are commercially minded, and we say it ‘how it is’. We’ll work with you to understand your aims and your appetite to risk, to get you the best deal achievable in as short a time as possible.
What we do
- Our clients - we act for a stellar list of real estate clients.
- Our experience - in line with our firm’s sector focus, our real estate team is at the cutting edge of society’s biggest issues in the development and regeneration, retail consumer and logistics, education, health and social care and government and housing association sectors.
Featured experience
Westerman Homes: sale of its strategic land portfolio
Having acted for Westerman Homes over the decades helping to build its portfolio, we advised our client on the sale of its strategic land portfolio (725 acres across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire) to Peveril Homes and Peveril Securities.
Motorsport Vision Limited: redevelopment of historic Old Museum
We acted for Motorsport Vision Limited on the redevelopment of the historic Old Museum at Donington Racetrack and the grant of a new lease to new occupier, Superbikes. A fantastic new name to add to the roster of tenants and occupiers on the estate.
DPD: acquisition of leasehold premises
We acted for DPD in their acquisitions of leasehold premises in York and in Washington; both complex transactions involving planning issues and an overage agreement. Both deals completed on time notwithstanding various challenges.
Chesterfield Borough Council: acquisition of The Pavements Shopping Centre
We acted for Chesterfield Borough Council on the strategic acquisition of The Pavements Shopping Centre in Chesterfield from investment company vendors. The resulting merger of the Council’s existing leasehold and freehold interests means that the Council takes control of this important asset in the region.
Key contacts
Sarah Parkinson
Partner
Barry Sully
Partner
Caroline Green
Senior Partner
Dominic Swift
Partner
Roland Gray
Partner
Victoria Thourgood
Partner
Gabor Taller
Partner
Suki Tonks
Partner
Robert Wofinden
Partner
Dominic Buckley
Partner
Testimonials
"The team are extremely commercial with a view to the client needs on each mandate. This is based on investing the time to understand both the client and the relevant mandate such that their insights are relevant, rather than just “nice to haves”."
"Very professional, dedicated and helpful team. Use of technology to help with face to face meetings, vital in the current environment."
"Each member of the Browne Jacobson team has always been proactive and prompt to respond to communications and matters that arise; I can't speak highly enough of the knowledge, expertise, advice and general care we have received - nothing is too much trouble."
"I have been so impressed with them - the lawyers are very solution-focused with a can-do attitude, available any time and willing to consider all ideas that we might have had. The work they produced for us was very high-quality."
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Browne Jacobson’s retail lawyers advise Wilko on its strategic £48m sale and leaseback of Nottinghamshire distribution centre to DHL
National law firm Browne Jacobson has advised long standing retail client, Wilko on the sale and leaseback of its Nottinghamshire distribution centre in Worksop to logistics specialist DHL for £48m.
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Is this the end of Section 106?
The Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill was introduced to Parliament on 11 May 2022. In this Bill, and in accordance with earlier reports, the government intends to replace section 106 agreements and the existing Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) with a new Infrastructure Levy.
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A seller failed on an auction sale to comply with its common law duty to disclose an overage obligation affecting the property.
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Brooke Homes (Bicester) Ltd v Portfolio Property Partners Ltd & Others [2021] EWHC 3015 (Ch)
The court provides some useful guidance on the different types of endeavours obligations and good faith clauses.
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Ventgrove Ltd v Kuehne Nagel Ltd 2021 CSOH 129
A tenant in Scotland had validly exercised a break option even though it failed to pay VAT on the break premium.
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Real estate quarterly update – January to March 2022
Read more about our latest real estate update aimed at in-house lawyers practising in the property and real estate sector.
On-Demand
Private Sector Development Club - 18 January 2022
We welcome you back after the festive break to our first Private Sector Development Club of the year. Join us on-demand for four high level presentations with a chance for you to ask questions to our experts.
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