Property and Commercial Development Solicitors

Our land acquisition solicitors specialise in securing optimal sites for development. We advise on the strategic purchase of development land, including:

• Conditional contracts
• Option agreements
• Overage arrangements
• Promotion agreements
• Land collaboration structures
• Access, easements, and title issues
• Remediation and environmental considerations

We structure and negotiate the agreements that underpin successful development projects, including:

• Development agreements
• Joint venture agreements
• Collaboration and promotion agreements
• Forward funding and sale arrangements
• Agreements for lease with commercial occupiers
• Infrastructure and servicing arrangements

Every property development project is unique.

We tailor our advice to reflect commercial realities, funding arrangements and any planning or technical constraints.

Our lawyers have extensive experience across a wide range of commercial development schemes.

Our service includes legal advice to optimise project outcomes.

Our expertise covers office developments, land development, mixed-use schemes, retail-anchored projects, industrial estates, logistics, and regeneration and town centre redevelopment.

We understand the pressures on developers, particularly around timescales, cash flow and risk management, and work proactively to keep your project on track.

We regularly act for landowners seeking to unlock development value. Our support covers:

• Negotiating with developers and promoters
• Strategic land promotion
• Sale structures and conditional disposals
• Overage and profit-share mechanisms
• Ensuring access, services and future development rights

We help landowners realise maximum value while protecting long-term interests.

Working closely with our real estate and property litigation teams, as well as specialist construction experts and surveyors where appropriate, we provide integrated advice on:

• Planning obligations
• Construction procurement and contracts
• Rights of light, party wall and oversailing issues
• Vacant possession strategies
• Neighbourly matters
• Compliance and regulatory issues

Our end-to-end approach ensures a smooth progression from initial concept to completed scheme. Our advice on residential and commercial development is tailored to meet strategic objectives.

Acting for the developer of 2 St Peter’s Square, Manchester.

The scheme provided over 160,000 square feet of grade ”A” office space over 11 floors with ground-floor retail and basement undercroft parking and services facilities.

We have worked with the owner/developer in facilitating the site assembly, obtaining vacant possession, dealing with a party wall, rights of light and oversailing issues as well as the actual demolition and reconstruction of the building, working particularly closely with the landlord’s construction and professional team. 

Acting for a developer to assemble a site with planning consent designed to construct an environmentally friendly holiday home facility in ancient woodland in Cornwall.

Acting for the landlord of Sevendale House, Manchester, in connection with the redevelopment of the property and the subsequent letting of the office space.

The offices are spread over five floors.

A variety of leases have been granted at the office complex, including a substantial lease of several floors to Ticketmaster UK and also smaller office suites of around 1,000 square feet to small businesses.

Dealing with the site assembly of a large brownfield regeneration site in the West Midlands.

The site was assembled using a combination of conditional contract and option agreements and included addressing a number of complicated issues such as the remediation of the site and the absence of title to a strip of land running through the middle of the site.

Acting for an owner-occupier in connection with the development of a 30,000 square feet building to house its rapidly expanding staff numbers, including dealing with the land acquisition and construction of the building and associated services.

Acting for the developer in connection with the redevelopment of a town centre anchored by a retail supermarket.

This included dealing with the site assembly from a number of different landowners, liaising with the Local Authority and securing public realm works, putting in place an Agreement for Lease with the supermarket operator, dealing with the funding of the development and the forward sale to a pension fund.

A property development solicitor guides you through the legal, commercial and practical issues involved in purchasing land, structuring development agreements, securing rights needed for construction, managing risk, and completing the sale or letting of the finished scheme.

We ensure your commercial property development is deliverable, compliant and financially protected at every stage.

Our legal team helps identify risks in commercial development projects early.

Ideally, at the earliest stage, before any offer, heads of terms or agreement are signed.

Early legal advice helps identify risks, negotiate better terms, structure the deal properly, and avoid costly issues later.

We can also help shape the commercial terms to match funding, planning and delivery requirements.

Typical development agreements include:

• Conditional contracts
• Option agreements
• Promotion agreements
• Overage agreements
• Joint venture agreements
• Collaboration agreements
• Agreements for lease
• Forward funding and forward sale agreements

We advise on all these structures and tailor them to your commercial objectives.

An option agreement gives a developer the right (but not the obligation) to buy land within a set timeframe.

For property developers, legal advice on structuring initial agreements is essential.

A conditional contract requires the parties to complete the sale once specific conditions (often planning consent) are met.

We can help you decide which structure provides the best protection and value.

Yes. Our commercial site development lawyers bring a wealth of experience to every case. We regularly act for:

• Developers involved in land development projects or delivering commercial schemes
• Landowners negotiating with developers or promoters
• Investors and funds purchasing completed developments

This gives us insight into the priorities and negotiation strategies on both sides.

Yes, we work closely with planning consultants, surveyors and our litigation teams to support with:

• Planning obligations and Section 106 agreements
• Highways and access issues
• Rights of light, party wall and oversailing concerns
• Title restrictions and covenants
• Neighbourly matters affecting construction

We ensure planning risks are properly managed within your transaction documents.

Absolutely. Forward funding and forward sales are common in large-scale developments.

We draft and negotiate agreements that balance the needs of developers, investors and funders, ensuring the project remains viable and deliverable.

Yes. We advise on:

• Lease surrenders
• Tenant relocations
• Notices and break clauses
• Compensation and settlement strategies
• Disputes where possession is resisted

Managing vacant possession early is crucial to avoiding delays.

We act on:

• Office and mixed-use schemes
• Retail-led developments
• Industrial and logistics parks
• Regeneration and town centre projects
• Multi-phase or complex brownfield sites

Our experience ranges from major city-centre developments to regional schemes across the UK.

Yes. We regularly support first-time and emerging developers with clear guidance through each stage of the development process, helping them understand risk, manage funding challenges and achieve successful outcomes.

Although we are based in Altrincham, we act for clients throughout the North West and across the UK. Our use of technology means distance is never a barrier to delivering exceptional service.

Costs depend on the size, complexity and structure of the transaction. We provide clear, upfront estimates and offer phased or fixed-fee options for certain elements of development work.

Contact us for a tailored quote.