Property Development Solicitors

As your legal representatives, we can take the lead on any negotiations you have with external companies and contractors to ensure that the terms of your agreement are in your best interest. 

Our property development solicitors will carefully review contracts submitted to you by third parties to identify potential risks and terms where you may be treated unfairly, prior to negotiating appropriate contractual protections to help minimise these risks to you. Our team are particularly skilled at advising on heads of terms, confidentiality agreements, exclusivity agreements and licences for access. 

We can also provide guidance on necessary clauses and provisions during the drafting or redrafting of the contract, such as arrangements for payment schedules, completion dates, warranties, indemnities and dispute resolutions procedures. We will review any conditions attached to the agreement by third parties such as planning or environmental authorities and advise on how best to manage any potential issues. 

Our in-depth knowledge of relevant case law and legal principles provides our clients an invaluable tool for bargaining and making compromises with the other side; enabling a more successful outcome for your business. For more information on how we can aid with your pre-contract negotiations, give us a call on +44 (0)20 7464 4080 to speak to a member of our team directly.  

Whether you are looking to buy or sell a commercial property, our solicitors will ensure that the process runs smoothly and efficiently; handling delicate negotiations and advising on potential risks associated with the property transaction. 

Our property development solicitors can provide legal advice and services on the acquisition, sale and disposal of commercial and residential property, whether the property is freehold, leasehold/leaseback, vacant or unregistered land. Our services also apply whether the transaction covers the entire property or just parts of it. 

We can both draft and review documents related to the property transaction (such as purchase and sale agreements, conditions of sale, transfers of property, deeds of covenant and conditional contracts) to ensure that the terms included treat you fairly and do not include clauses that could lead to a later dispute.  

Prior to purchasing a property, our solicitors will conduct Reports on Title and property/conveyancing searches to identify information on the property’s Local Authority, Water and drainage and Environment and ensure local planning regulations and restrictions are adhered to, in addition to identifying any other potential issues with the property that could cause problems later.  

We can also make Land Registry applications on your behalf and advise on business-related property issues such as indemnity insurance and taxation (including on stamp duty and capital gains tax you may need to pay).

Whether you are looking to develop property on land you own or acquire the land and rights for development, our solicitors can advise you on your best options for maximising your transaction and putting in place agreements that allow your development projects to proceed smoothly whilst preventing later legal disputes.

If you are selling land to a developer or looking to work with one to develop property on your land, then we can put in place agreements that help maximise the value of your land or property sale such as:

• Put & call options
• Land promotion agreements
• Collaboration agreements with other landowners
• Overage/clawback agreements
• Pre-emption agreements
• Agreements for leases with works

Our lawyers can also discuss contract clauses that will help give the other party benefits whilst also alleviating your burdens (such as assignment and novations) and apply for licences for access to land in situations where property development may require access to another party’s land or airspace.

Our property development solicitors will ensure that both you and the other party fully understand the agreement and arrangements being entered into prior to signing, reducing the risk of disputes from arising in the future.

Our property development solicitors are leading experts in UK construction law and can help ensure that your construction project has all the necessary agreements in place to run smoothly and effectively.

Once appointed as your legal representatives, our solicitors will conduct a thorough investigation into the works your construction process will require before arranging licenses and agreements that will let the work take place uninterrupted, including post-construction administration to keep you legally compliant. Some of the agreements we are experienced in delivering include:

• Scaffolding licences
• Crane oversailing licences
• Building contracts
• Engineering contracts
• Construction enquiries before contract
• Pre-construction agreements
• JCT specimen standard forms
• Assignment of construction documents
• Reporting on construction documents

We can also advise on specific contract clauses between you and other parties involved in the development process (like contractors, investors and notable individuals within your company) to ensure that you achieve the best possible outcome and that other parties fully understand their responsibilities and requirements to the project. Some contracts and clauses we are highly knowledgeable with include:

• Amendments to standard form contracts
• Bonds
• Guarantees
• Collateral warranties
• Third party rights
• Professional appointments
• Letters of intent
• Novations
• Joint Ventures
• Acceleration agreements
• Terminating building contracts
• Party Wall etc. Act 1996
• Pre-construction agreements
• Vesting certificates

When drafting and reviewing contracts, our solicitors are also able to advise on financial aspects of the arrangement, including on whether to apply clauses or when to act on:

• Escrow
• Pay less notices
• Payment notices (for when contractors or third parties have not paid on time)

Our solicitors’ in-depth understanding of the industry - combined with our commercial focus – allows us to anticipate any issues that clients may face and offer practical solutions ahead of time. We pride ourselves on offering cost-effective advice and services through our fixed fee pricing system as we recognise that value for money is critical to our developer clients.

If you are struggling to acquire financing for your property development project, have had a financing source fall through or simply need an expert eye to review loan contracts and advise on the best way forward, then our solicitors can help.  

Our team have built strong relationships with established lenders and loan servicers to help clients access funding quickly from trusted sources. We can advise on the types of loan and payment plans that best suit your development project and negotiate with capital investors and finance companies to deliver the best deal for you possible. Some of the loans that we can advise on include: 

• Acquisition facilities 
• Development facilities 
• Bridge loans 
• Working capital facilities 

Our solicitors will support you through every step of the loan application process, from initial legal advice and lender recommendations to completing loan documentation on your behalf and ensuring capital is delivered according to your deadlines. For more information about our financing services for developers, get in touch with our team by calling +44 (0)20 7464 4080.

There are many tempting financial advantages to buying properties or land from companies that are going insolvent. However, no matter the size or price of the asset you are buying, it is vital that you seek legal advice as soon as possible due to the complexity of the acquisition process and high levels of risk.  

Our solicitors make purchasing land and property from insolvent companies as easy and smooth as possible by overseeing the entire transaction from start to finish. Advising on property and land asset purchases from companies in administration, liquidation or mortgagees in possession, our solicitors investigate and thoroughly research properties that our clients are interested in purchasing and follow up with a detailed conveyancing report that outlines information about the land and whether it is a safe investment option.  

Should you then wish to then proceed with the acquisition, our solicitors will act as your representative when contacting the insolvency practitioner or chartered surveyor; negotiating the best price possible for the property or land and fulfilling all administrative legal work (such as Purchase & Sale contracts and Land Registry applications) to complete your transaction.  

Having our lawyers on your side helps reduce the risk of purchasing bad investment properties from insolvent companies, saving you money and unnecessary stress in the long term. If you are considering purchasing property or land assets from an insolvent company, then do not hesitate to get in touch with our team for expert advice and guidance. 

The Newmanor Law team are vastly experienced in acquiring planning permissions for development projects and creating legal agreements between property developers and local authorities. These legal arrangements are vital for ensuring that your development plans do not break any laws or local regulations, which could result in hefty fines and disruption to your planning deadlines. Therefore, it is essential that you consult expert lawyers who understand the process of obtaining permissions and can fill out all necessary paperwork correctly on your behalf. 

Our property development solicitors can advise on planning obligations between developers and local authorities (Section 106 agreements) and on projects that plan to make alterations or improvements to public highways (Section 278 agreements). If you are a landowner facing extended rights of way being placed on your land, then our lawyers can also advise on how you can fight these decisions through the Section 31 Highways Act 1980. 

All our planning and highways permissions services are covered by our fixed fee pricing, meaning that the quote you receive following your consultation will be the final fee you pay once the work is done. Call us today on +44 (0)20 7464 4080 to discuss your property development project with our expert lawyers.  

If you are a landlord or landowner, then we offer a range of property management agreements and arrangements that help maintain and safeguard your property when utilising external contractors and protect your property’s value when development works are taking place nearby. 

 Some of the agreements that our solicitors are particularly experienced in include: 

• Wayleave agreements (permissions for contractors to install, repair and maintain network equipment on your property or land) 
• Easements such as rights of way, rights of light or rights to use overground/underground service media 
• Restrictive Covenants (contract between two landowners which promises that certain acts will not be carried out on their own land e.g., property development) 
• Licences to occupy 
• Statutory declarations to support claims for adverse possession 
• Statutory declarations for rights acquired over a period of time (prescriptive rights) e.g., rights of way 

For more information and to find out if your property or land is applicable for any of these agreements, speak to one of our lawyers by calling +44 (0)20 7464 4080.