Real Estate overview

Our market-leading experts can advise on every aspect of the real estate sector

Our Real Estate group is a UK leader, providing a full range of legal services to national and international clients. We have strength and depth of experience, with a team of around 200 lawyers.

In a resurgent office development market, we have been advising on many of the commercial projects currently underway, including several high profile City schemes.

We are working on developing and launching an increasing number of new property funds.

We have been taking a leading role in helping listed property companies convert to Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITS).

In addition, we are undertaking an increasing amount of European cross-border work.

We also continue to undertake a very high level of transactional work. Unlike some law firms, we offer a full range of property legal services and advise on sales and purchases, development and asset management work. To provide an effective service, we have invested heavily in project management and processes, often involving specialist IT infrastructure.

We work for real estate clients around the world. To ensure a seamless European service, we have strong relationships with other law firms, notably August & Debouzy in France and GSK Stockmann & Kollegen in Germany

Our latest briefings & reports
Enforcement of Adjudicators' Decisions   Statutory adjudication of disputes over construction contracts was introduced to counter unacceptable delays and expense in traditional dispute resolution processes. The courts have in the last few days re-affirmed their determination to make sure that losing parties in these interim decisions cannot avoid paying up simply by complaining that an error in the decision amounts to a 'breach of natural justice'. View full briefing
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
AIFM Directive - impact on real estate funds   The European Commission published its first draft of the Directive on Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFMs) on 30 April 2009. Since then, the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union has produced three further drafts (the last dated 15 December 2009), Jean Paul Gauzes, a French MEP, has produced a report for the European Parliament (dated 23 November 2009) and the Spanish, who assumed the Presidency of the Council of the European Union at the beginning of 2010, published the fifth draft of the Directive on 3 February 2010. Significant press and industry comment continues, and over 1,000 amendments have been tabled to the Gauzes report.  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
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
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