The real estate development sector is facing rapid change, with new regulations, sustainability goals, and shifting market expectations shaping every project.
Our team supports developers, investors, funds, and corporate clients at every stage of the development process. Clients value our sector knowledge and commitment to practical, outcome-driven solutions. We help clients anticipate risks, structure projects, and deliver developments that create long-term value and resilience.
Our Services
Helping clients negotiate complex joint ventures and development agreements.
Our expert team advises on complex joint funding and development agreements. This includes forward funding arrangements and acquiring suitable sites.
Recent experience includes:
- Advising Aver Property on the acquisition, development, letting, financing and disposal of a logistics portfolio, including nine sites across the UK.
- Advising Bentall GreenOak/Mission Street on the acquisition and development of science and innovation hubs in Cambridge, Oxford, and Bristol.
- Advising Tristan Capital Partners LLP and Rynda Healthcare LLP on the forward funding and development of care home portfolios valued at c.£165 million.
- Advising Schroders Capital UK Real Estate Fund on the ten-storey office development know as Two Ruskin square, and the nine-storey office building know as One Ruskin Square, a major regeneration scheme in East Croydon.
For further advice please contact Catriona Berman, Alexander Chadwick, Simon Brading or Kuljeet Bahia.
Seamless legal advice for planning, construction and regulatory issues.
We work closely with clients to ensure developments progress smoothly through planning and construction phases, ensuring compliance with all required regulations.
Known for our ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder projects and negotiate bespoke statutory agreements, we guide clients through challenging regeneration and development schemes.
Recent experience includes:
- Advising Rolls-Royce Motor Cars on the expansion of its assembly facility in West Sussex.
- Advising North London Waste Authority on securing and implementing a development consent order for a major energy from waste plant.
- Advising London Boroughs on regeneration and infrastructure schemes, including planning, environmental, and section 106 agreements for large-scale residential and mixed-use developments.
- Advising Investec Bank Plc on development financing for mixed-use, logistics, and student accommodation projects, including planning and environmental due diligence.
For further advice please contact Catriona Berman, Alexander Chadwick, Simon Brading or Kuljeet Bahia.
Also visit our Construction & Engineering, and Planning & Environmental pages.
Specialist legal advice for mixed-use and regeneration projects.
Our team helps clients navigate the complexities involved in mixed-use developments and large-scale regeneration schemes.
Recent experience includes:
- Advising Reef + Partners on the multi-stage redevelopment of The Forum in Gloucester and a major town centre regeneration project.
- Advising a developer and arranger on the acquisition, development, funding and disposal (including the implementation of a long-income structure with a local authority) for two mixed-use developments in Dartford.
- Advising a private developer on the proposed redevelopment of a retail parade and market in central Watford to create a refurbished market and residential scheme.
- Advised London Borough of Hackney on the variation and negotiation of its master development agreement with Berkeley Homes for Woodberry Down, one of Europe’s biggest single-site estate regeneration projects.
For further advice please contact Catriona Berman, Alexander Chadwick, Simon Brading or Kuljeet Bahia.
Also visit our Projects, Energy & Infrastructure page.
Specialist advice for clients requiring long income development funding.
Our team regularly advises clients on implementing complex and bespoke structures that use real estate concepts to finance a variety of developments.
Recent experience includes:
- Advising a developer and arranger on the acquisition, development, funding and disposal (including the implementation of a long-income structure with a local authority) for two mixed-use developments in Dartford.
- Advising Reef Group on the development and funding of a regeneration scheme in Stevenage, which was financed using a income strip/annuity lease structure.
- Advising a private developer on the acquisition, disposal and development of a series of blocks of NHS key worker accommodation in Maidstone.
- Advised Schroders Capital Real Estate Fund on the development of a best in class BREEAM rated excellent office block in Cambridge Square, Cambridge, including the forward-funding and pre-letting.
- Advising Schroders Capital Real Estate Fund on the forward funding and pre-let to the Secretary of State of a new build office block development in London.
For further advice please contact Catriona Berman, Alexander Chadwick, Simon Brading or Kuljeet Bahia.
Awards and Recognition
"The firm shows a high level of detail and diligence. They have a commercial approach to transactions. The team has a high client focus and is extremely responsive."
"Stephenson Harwood sees right through the complexity and is able to distil it in a way that makes it easy for us to understand."