Blog
Back-to-back does not mean copy and paste: getting construction subcontracts properly aligned
On most construction projects, the contractor will take on obligations to the employer that need to be reflected in the subcontracts below it. That is where back-to-back drafting commonly comes in. The difficulty is that the same wording does not always produce the same result. A notice period that works in the main contract may…
Read MorePlanning permission means little if your Access is unclear
Planning permission can add significant value to a development site. However, that value depends heavily on the scheme being capable of delivery, and that is something that planning permission does not establish. Access is a good example. A planning authority may be satisfied that a proposed access works in highways and planning terms, but that…
Read MoreStaying put? Treat any refurbishment and the lease renewal as one deal
For commercial tenants approaching lease expiry, staying put is increasingly a genuine alternative to relocation. There may be good reasons for it. Avoiding the cost and carbon associated with a move, retaining a location that works, and using refurbishment to create a substantially different workplace without changing address all makes sense. But there is a…
Read MoreBuilding Confidence: An interview with Craig Cunningham
This month we speak to Craig Cunningham of Regulyne Group. Craig has a background in leading businesses and operational teams across hospitality, real estate and construction, both in improving performance and helping organisations navigate change. His focus has shifted to the built environment and building safety sector. Regulyne Group exists to be greater confidence and…
Read MorePowering Up: What commercial landlords need to know before granting an EVCP lease
Granting an EVCP (Electric Vehicle Charging Point) lease can appear to be an easy commercial win. A specialist operator funds the infrastructure, the site becomes more attractive to occupiers, and the landlord secures an additional income stream with relatively little capital investment. On the surface, it looks like a straightforward way of future-proofing a commercial…
Read MoreA day in my legal life: Ella Tozzi
I started out my ‘legal life’ by working as a legal secretary, many moons ago, becoming a senior partner’s secretary in the early 1980s. When the partner retired, I became a legal assistant in the property department at Boodle Hatfield where I continued to work for 39 years, crossing paths eventually with both Karen and…
Read MoreThe Art of Preservation: An interview with Lucy Fellows
This month, we speak to Lucy Fellows, from The Conservation Room. Lucy specialises in art conservation. Having trained at the Courtauld Institute of Art, she worked for several private conservation studios all over London before setting up her own studio, The Conservation Room, in East London. What is your background and experience in the property…
Read MoreAre wet-ink signatures still necessary: Why commercial property is moving towards digital execution
For most of the industry’s history, a commercial property transaction was shaped as much by geography as by law. Deals moved at the speed of the post, the availability of witnesses, and the diary of a surveyor who needed to visit in person before a lender would commit. Developers, fund managers, institutional investors and bridging…
Read MoreWhy commercial property sales collapse before completion, and how to navigate the risk
For many parties involved in a commercial property transaction, exchange of contracts feels like the finish line. Months of negotiations, due diligence, financing discussions and legal drafting have finally produced a binding agreement. The uncertainty that characterised the earlier stages of the deal appears to have fallen away, and buyer and seller can begin to…
Read MoreWhat the retail investment recovery means for landlords and investors in 2026
Earlier this year, we covered why the 2025 UK retail property recovery was contractual, not speculative, which was largely driven by rebased income, disciplined lease structures and assets that had already repriced through the cycle. Six months on, the story has developed. What was a recovery is beginning to look like conviction, and the decisions…
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