
Higher education property management and real estate development
We have a dedicated education-focused real estate team that combines technical excellence with a deep understanding of the challenges facing real estate teams in higher education institutes (HEIs) borne out of our experience of working with our clients.
Your estate plays a vital role in the identity of your university and the ability to utilise the space to deliver efficiencies, whilst ensuring the best possible ‘destination experience’ for students, staff, business and the wider community is critical.
We have a dedicated education-focused real estate team that combines technical excellence with a deep understanding of the challenges facing real estate teams in higher education institutes (HEIs) borne out of our experience of working with our clients.
What we offer
- Expert advice on all aspects of estate management including acquisition and disposals of freehold and leasehold land, renewal leases, rent reviews, breaks and dilapidations support on major projects relating to the redevelopment and regeneration of your estate, joint ventures, financing and strategic planning to help optimise investment and income generation.
- Exclusive access to our in-house, interactive property portfolio manager system, allowing 24-hour access to all your property portfolio documents along with automated reminders of key dates such as rent reviews, break clauses or lease termination dates.
- Specialist advice including funding and project finance, construction, corporate and commercial, environmental law, housing, planning and compulsory purchase orders, procurement, state aid, sustainability and energy efficiency and tax.
- Dispute resolution experts to help you identify risk and manage all your disputes, adopting a practical solutions-based approach from lease renewals and tenant default issues to high value and complex claims.
Why choose Browne Jacobson?
As an approved Business Partner of the Association of University Directors of Estates, our dedicated education real estate team have first-hand, in-house experience working in HEIs and are well placed to advise you on how to make the most of your estate. For more information on how we can help your institution please contact Dominic Swift.
Our expertise
Key contacts

Dominic Swift
Partner
You may be interested in...
Press Release
Browne Jacobson announces key partner appointment to further grow higher education and charities practice
Legal Update
Back in the (Investment) Zone… sort of
Legal Update
Be Connected - Higher Education Spring 2023
Legal Update
Knowledge exchange and intellectual property
Guide
Terminating student lettings: a quick guide for landlords
Legal Update
Higher education projects – the end is nigh?
Legal Update
Solar panel projects for higher education institutions
Legal Update
What role do HE employees have to play in public inquiries?
Opinion
The UK’s Data Protection and Digital Information Bill (No. 2): For universities
Legal Update
Regulating harassment and sexual misconduct in higher education
Legal Update
Government to expand network and Information systems regulations
Legal Update
A pandemic legacy: flexibility
Legal Update
Regeneration: what role can universities play?
Legal Update
Biodiversity Net Gain — Government publishes consultation response
On-Demand
The Subsidy Control Act 2022. Putting the new regime into practice
Opinion
Consultation on holiday entitlement – part-year and irregular workers
Guide
FAQs - becoming an academy sponsor
Legal Update
The importance of understanding the transitional provisions under the Electronic Communications Code
Legal Update
Biodiversity Net Gain: positive for nature and an opportunity for landowners
Legal Update
Discrimination comes of age
Press Release
Law firm picks up record breaking sixth Education Investor Award
Browne Jacobson’s education team has been named as winner of the ‘Legal Advisors to Education Institutions’ category at the Education Investor Awards 2022 for a record sixth time.
Press Release
Thousands take part in virtual careers event to help increase diversity in the legal profession
Over 3000 young people from across the UK and Ireland took part in a virtual legal careers insight event, aimed at making the legal profession more diverse.
Press Release
Education team maintains clean sweep of top rankings in latest legal directories
Browne Jacobson’s education team has again been confirmed as a national powerhouse after securing five Tier 1 rankings relating to Education in the latest edition of Legal 500 and maintaining a Band 1 UK-wide ranking for Education in Chambers & Partners UK 2023.
Legal Update
be connected newsletter for higher education - Autumn 2022
Press Release
Browne Jacobson and The University of Nottingham announce Knowledge Transfer Partnership to promote greater equality, diversity and inclusion in the legal sector and beyond
Law firm Browne Jacobson and the University of Nottingham are launching a ground-breaking two and a half year Knowledge Transfer Partnership which aims to develop and embed long-lasting equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) principles and learnings into the firm’s practices and processes, amongst its key client-bases and the national legal sector.
Legal Update
Authorship disputes and employment claims
In an academic environment, there can be pressures to publish, particularly where funding is dependent upon research and reputation. Whilst there can be competition between Higher Education establishments to be the first to publish, there can also be internal conflicts over authorship rights where several individuals have contributed to the work.
Legal Update
Subsidy Control Act 2022: economic queries
In July, the long-awaited statutory guidance on the Subsidy Control Act 2022 (Act) was published in draft form (Draft Guidance). A consultation on the draft guidance has recently ended and the results have not yet been published – it may therefore change before the final version is published.
Legal Update
Changes to holiday pay for part-year workers
In July 2022, the Supreme Court handed down its long-awaited Judgement in the case of Harpur Trust v Brazel relating to the correct calculation of statutory holiday pay for part year workers. This decision has implications for all part year workers on contracts which subsist all year round, whether their hours are normal or irregular.
Legal Update
Facing the threat of cyber security breaches
Universities and colleges are not immune from deception by unscrupulous bad actors. The extent to which educational institutions can manage and control risk not only depends on financial management and internal controls, but also the robustness of security and processes which can be exploited from outside the organisation.
Opinion
Internal reports and privilege
In University of Dundee v Chakraborty, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) considered whether a first draft of a grievance report could retrospectively be deemed to be privileged.
Legal Update
Data reform in the UK
Since the UK left the EU and are now able to move away from the EU data protection regime, the UK government have implemented a national data strategy with the aim of reducing the burden on organisations but maintaining a high data protection standard.
Legal Update
What opportunities do the REF 2021 results offer universities?
The long-awaited publication of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 provides universities with opportunities to generate additional income and build upon the quality of their research output.
Legal Update
be connected newsletter for higher education - May 2022
In this edition we provide you with the latest in legal updates, news and insight from the higher education sector.
Legal Update
Harassment and sexual misconduct in Higher Education
Cases involving the handling allegations of harassment and sexual misconduct by Universities continues to hit the news. They are clearly difficult issues for Universities given the competing duties owed to both the reporting individual and the alleged perpetrator and the inevitable sensitivities around the nature of these matters.
Legal Update
ICO consultation on research provisions guidance
The data protection legislation (namely, the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018) contain various provisions that deal with the processing of personal data for research purposes.
Press Release
Browne Jacobson’s C-suite exec level coaching team appoints two new education specialists
National law firm Browne Jacobson has grown its team behind its dedicated Space + Time executive coaching programme with the addition of two more qualified coaches who will work with clients in the education sector.
Legal Update
be connected newsletter for higher education - February 2022
In this edition we provide you with the latest in legal updates, news and insight from the higher education sector.
Legal Update
Digitising the student experience in higher education: Some practical tips for procurement
Five considerations for HEIs when undertaking an IT procurement for largely “off the shelf” small-scale student-facing applications for online teaching, knowledge stores and document repositories etc.
Legal Update
How will HSE’s focus on occupational health affect UK HE institutions?
What does the HSE's decision to prioritise occupational health inspection & enforcement activities mean for higher education institutions?
Published Article
Implications of the amended public procurement thresholds
To continue to meet legal obligations, higher education institutions must consider threshold figure changes in the Cabinet Office review.