Overview
I am a real estate lawyer with a particular focus on complex residential development and the strategic land sector. I work for both private landowners and developers and regularly deal with promotions, collaboration agreements, pre-emptions, phased development management agreements, title issues, options, overage and other complex land agreements.
My experience covers advising on Natural Capital arrangements as part of both the development of schemes and in generating value from land holdings. My clients include landed estates, farming families and other family businesses, charities and institutional landowners.
I am also experienced in every aspect of investment portfolio work including day to day property management for both corporate and private clients. My breadth of real estate experience enables me to help clients prepare and realise maximum value from land and property.
Recommended in Legal 500 for expertise in advising landowners on strategic development sites and five years ranked in Chambers for South West Real Estate.
Recent experience
Negotiating an option agreement in respect of a strategic development with a major housebuilder for over 1,000 homes. Option agreements were entered into with multiple landowners with equalisation provisions in respect of costs and market value across the whole scheme
Acting on the promotion arrangement for a new settlement to comprise up to 3,000 homes as well as community, education, recreational, health and retail facilities with a significant ringfenced minimum net return to the landowner
Acting on the purchase of 250 acres of mixed-use land in Sussex for sustainable development on behalf of a master developer. The transaction included negation of a headlease of a solar farm, third party access arrangements and pre-emption agreements. The due diligence exercise was complex as the site was subject to numerous tenancies
Acting for a Trust in relation to the promotion and subsequent sale of development land bequeathed pursuant to a will and held in a charitable trust structure. Advising on Charities Act implications and requirements
Acting for landowners across the country in respect of promotion agreements. Dealing with small to national size promoters, closing drafting loop holes and protecting landowners interests such as with robust guaranteed minimum returns, capping of costs and ensuring alignment of project and/or legacy objectives
Acting for a JV investment vehicle in relation to the purchase of woodland and arable land for bio-diversity net gain (BNG) credit habitat creation. The purchase was conditional on completion of a BNG section 106 Agreement and involved arranging indemnity insurance specific for natural capital uses
Acting for a landowner on the phased sales of development land to a regional housebuilder. The matter involved resolving boundary discrepancies, securing third party land, negotiating novel retention provisions in respect of biodiversity net gain solutions
