Housebuilders overview

We have unrivalled experience in the housebuilding sector

We are the UK’s primary legal adviser to the housebuilding sector - acting for 13 of the top 16 housebuilders in the UK and 34 clients in all.

Our team of dedicated legal experts understands the industry and provides commercial, cost-effective and proactive advice. We offer a comprehensive service - from the initial identification of potential sites for development through to after sales issues and beyond. Our lawyers are regularly invited to speak at NHBC and HBF dinners, seminars and roadshows and we host The National Housebuilders Heads of Legal Forum twice a year. 

We advise on all aspects affecting the industry.

• Our Corporate team deals with takeovers, mergers and acquisitions.
• Our Urban Regeneration team deals with pathfinding partnering agreements and cutting edge regeneration issues.
• Our Environmental team deals with the development of brownfield sites and contaminated land issues and conducts environmental assessments.
• Our Health, Safety and Regulations team offers advice on the protection of interests by negotiating with regulatory bodies and defending prosecutions.
• Our Real Estate and Planning team handles complex land acquisitions and the entire range of planning and public law issues.
• Our Customer Care team deals with customer care and purchaser disputes.
• Our Construction team deals with disputes that arise with employers, contractors and subcontractors and drafts complex construction documentation.
• Our Land Litigation team deals with disputes relating to title, options, boundaries and complex land contract issues, in addition to the removal of squatters or travellers.
• Our Employment team advises on all issues that arise with employees, including working conditions, discrimination, diversity and performance.

 “The firm overall is one of the leading advisers to the UK Housebuilding sector, acting for 13 of the top 16 leading housebuilders in the UK.”
The Legal 500, 2006

Our latest alerts, briefings & reports
Opening doors: The potential of joint ventures to deliver new homes via Local Housing Companies   'Opening doors - The potential of joint ventures to deliver new homes via Local Housing Companies' was commissioned by Nabarro LLP to get a clearer view on one of the key issues facing local government today - identifying the most effective methods of delivering new homes. This report focuses on joint ventures, investigating LHCs as one option. View full briefing
Administrators who use premises must pay the rent as an expense   The court has clarified that administrators must pay rent as an expense of the administration when they use property. View full briefing
Recent developments in disability and sex discrimination   The law is moving on with the times – we think! At the end of last year, for the first time, the Courts issued an injunction, requiring a bank to make reasonable adjustments to disabled access to its premises, at the cost of £200,000. The EAT gave us some helpful guidance on how employers should treat the rising number of employees undergoing IVF. And, the compensation rates for unfair dismissal came down (yes, down) to reflect the current economic conditions. What should you make of all this?  View full briefing
Penfold Review of Non-Planning Consents: Call for Evidence by 10 February 2010 review   The Government-led Penfold Review was launched in December, with a deadline for industry to contribute by 10 February 2010. The review is examining how to streamline the process for obtaining consents which do not form part of the planning process. The time presently taken to obtain such consents is perceived to cause delay and uncertainty and impact upon investment. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, (BIS), has called for evidence, with a view to identifying barriers and delays in the consent process. They are seeking input from industry representatives, private sector developers, Local Authorities and regulatory bodies.  View full briefing
CPA Model Conditions fail to protect owner of construction plant    The Construction Plant Hire Association's Models Conditions for Plant Hire 2001 (CPA Model Conditions) are widely used throughout the construction industry. The CPA Model Conditions are rarely varied by parties. Often they are simply relied upon as being capable of covering all eventualities. Regularly, owners of plant hire out their plant, together with one of their employees to operate it. They often work under the illusion that if anything goes wrong (that results in a legal claim for damages), the CPA Model Conditions will successfully protect them from liability. This is simply not always the case, as the recent case of Jose -v- MacSalvors Plant Hire Ltd [2009] vividly illustrates.  View full briefing
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