Real estate

Expert legal advice and solutions for the real estate sector.

Buying and selling your commercial property

Real estate deals can be fraught with challenges, but our team of real estate lawyers have the capability to handle any transaction. We regularly take care of complex, multimillion-pound deals, negotiating against large national firms and working with multiple parties to meet critical deadlines and budgets. We’re forward-thinking and commercial in our approach, with a focus on working collaboratively and flexibly, taking time to understand your objectives and build a strong, long-lasting relationship.

By your side throughout your growth & development

Our award-winning real estate lawyers works across all sectors, including complicated and highly regulated industries, offering extensive experience and technical expertise in the property industry. Our clients range from property developers, investors, and lenders to utility companies, registered housing providers, commercial landlords and tenants. We also serve public and third sector organisations, including schools and health-sector bodies.

Reduce risks, speak to us early on

You can turn to us for knowledgeable advice on all aspects of real estate matters, including acquisitions, disposals, landlord and tenant matters, property management, finance and development projects. With strong in-house specialists in our firm, we are well-equipped to handle tax and environmental issues, as well as with planning, construction, regulatory law, and property litigation. We also work with a health and safety partner, Crysp.

Nationally renowned specialisms

In some areas, our lawyers offer particularly specialist expertise. With clients in the energy sector, for example, we’re one of the few firms nationally to have acted on biomass district heating schemes and anaerobic digestion and battery storage projects. We also advise GPs and dentists across the country on property matters for private and public sector healthcare, and we have nationally recognised expertise in Stamp Duty Land Tax.

In focus: the automotive sector

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Real estate

Our real estate team is one of the largest and most experienced in the region, advising on complex, multimillion-pound deals, negotiating against large national firms and working with multiple parties to meet critical deadlines and budgets. We take a risk-managed and highly commercial approach – one which means that we always meet our clients’ objectives.

Speak to us about any aspect of your real estate transaction, including acquisitions, disposals, landlord and tenant matters, property management, finance, social housing and development projects.

Find out how we can help you

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Property finance

Our team has strong relationships with both lenders (including alternative funders; peer-to-peer banks; challenger banks; etc) and potential borrowers – property developers; investors; housebuilders; etc. This means that we not only support both lenders and borrowers to complete deals with our depth of experience and understanding of real estate finance and securitisation, we can also help to put these deals together in the first place.

We are known for providing practical, straightforward advice efficiently and cost effectively.

Find out how we can help you

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Landlord and tenant

Whether you’re a landlord or tenant our team will help you to manage risk and maximise the benefit of your let or rented property. Whether it is leasing office premises, industrial units, shopping centres, retail units, we can help.

An integral part of our commercial property service, our team will focus on managing all leasing requirements, maximising value and minimising risk. This includes anticipating and avoiding disputes, many of which can be costly whether you are a landlord or a tenant.

Get in touch to find out how we can help you

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Risk management

We offer comprehensive risk management for businesses. Our lawyers will identify, assess, and mitigate risks specific to your industry.

From thorough analysis to strategic contract negotiation, our lawyers will work closely with you to create practical action plans that align with your business needs and objectives.

Every transaction carries some degree of risk. We identify, explain in clear language and offer plausible solutions with an option as to the best action.

Whether it relates to planning use, dilapidations, the terms of a lease, securitisation, mining rights that affect developments, our team will guide you through the best approach.

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Digital property managment platform

If you are looking for a quicker and more efficient way to manage your estate portfolio and transactions, we have an award-winning platform which will provide you with reassurance that every detail is taken care of.

Our secure digital platform provides real-time data, enabling you to monitor transaction progress and post-completion portfolio management.

Everything you need will be organised in one place, from renewal dates to contracts, no more missed deadlines or missing information.

We’ll also be on hand whenever you need expert advice from our real estate lawyers.

Find out how our technology can help you save time and keep up with your obligations, 0300 124 0406.

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Construction

Here to help you take the strain

Construction and engineering projects often involve a high level of commercial and other risks, not to mention a weight of documentation. We help to alleviate this and put a particular emphasis on risk management and risk aversion. Our comprehensive service covers everything from procurement and contract services to dispute resolution. And we work across every aspect of construction and engineering, including infrastructure, energy, and public procurements.

Bringing clarity to complexity

If you have a construction-related dispute, we can act for you in adjudication, arbitration, litigation, mediation, or any other approach to dispute resolution.

Find out how we can help you

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Property development

We act for homebuilders and commercial property developers from as little as a single plot to 1000 plots. We are equipped to handle complex option and promotion agreements to conditional and joint venture proposals. Find out how we can help.

Our lawyers offer pragmatic advice to the complexities of legislation and changing policies. Our specialist team with experienced partners, planning, construction, and environmental lawyers can assist on any development scheme.

Whether joint venture, planning for residential or commercial, site assembly and acquisitions, we work with developers and third parties to bring the project to fruition.

Get in touch to find out how we can help you

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Property dispute resolution

Where disputes arise or where there is a risk of a dispute developing, our lawyers have an expert understanding of the market and extensive experience in all forms of alternative dispute resolution, as well as formal court proceedings.

We act for a wide variety of clients, including commercial landlords, corporate occupiers, developers, landowners, small businesses, and local authorities, as well as individuals.

We offer comprehensive advice for a range of legal issues from adverse possession to boundary disputes and from break options to dilapidations.

Find out how we can help you

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Planning and highways

Commercially minded, strategic advice and practical support from well-respected planning experts.

Planning law is fast moving and everchanging and can have a significant effect on asset value and the way a business can operate. We provide specialist advice across all sectors for both contentious and non-contentious matters. We can not only help you navigate planning regulations; we can help you maximise value and achieve the best practical outcome for you.

We act for a range of clients, including residential and commercial developers, infrastructure providers, land and property owners, and local authorities.

Whenever you turn to us, you can expect clear, commercially astute, and strategically decisive advice. We understand how pivotal planning can be to a project and the importance of time and cost-efficiency. Our lawyers will support you from start to finish of a project or support with specific needs as required.

Find out how we can help you

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Asset & estate management

Our experienced lawyers work with landlords, tenants, investors, and owners in the management of their portfolios. We can help you manage a portfolio advising on the legalities.

Managing your asset and estate can be time consuming and complex with various legislation to be complied with. We can help the management of the estate whether its granting of new leases, exercising rent reviews, break clauses ensuring critical deadlines and key dates are not missed. Our lawyers embrace technology, and our platforms are not only there for us but also our clients to ensure costly mistakes are not made and there is continuity for our client’s.

Get in touch to find out how we can help you

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Environmental & regulatory

A practical, knowledgeable approach to environmental risk, regulatory compliance, and incident management.

Environmental law is all about the protection, regulation, and improvement of the natural environment. While regulatory law involves compliance with the complex web of rules and regulations that apply to most organisations.

Our team has a great depth and breadth of knowledge, experience and resources and is headed by a former environmental agency solicitor. The aim for us is to minimise risk by swiftly providing well-informed decisive advice. We assess each situation and make sure you have the best team available, and if we don’t have the skills, you need in-house, we’ll refer you the right person.

Our expertise covers a wide range of environmental and regulatory areas such as compulsory land acquisitions/purchase orders, to environmental permit compliance and from liability for environmental contamination to licencing including applications, variations, and compliance with conditions.

Find out how we can help you

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Energy and natural resources

Support for every aspect of your project from recognised specialists immersed in the sector.

The transition from carbon energy is creating numerous opportunities. These include, for both landowners and developers, opportunities to diversify and make more money.

Our firm was one of the first law firms to invest in this sector, establishing our energy and renewables practice more than a decade ago, and which now offers comprehensive and strategic advice to a wide range of clients including, developers, landowners, investors, consultants, and contractors.

We are involved with many types of projects including wind, solar (ground array and rooftop), waste to energy, anaerobic digestion, biomass, combed heat and power, ground/air source heat energy and battery energy storage projects.

Our experience in planning, environmental, real estate, and commercial law, means that we can offer you the perfect combination of advice necessary to navigate the complexities of Biodiversity Net Gain. Whether you’re a developer, landowner, consultant, or local authority, we’re here to help, get in touch to discuss how the requirements impact you.

Find out how we can help you

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Islamic finance

Islamic finance is how businesses and individuals raise capital in accordance with Sharia or Islamic law. Islamic finance also refers to the types of investments that are permissible under Sharia or Islamic law.

We have Islamic finance specialists with extensive experience advising on high value, cross jurisdiction and complex real estate finance transactions, as well as putting together ethical finance investment schemes which are becoming increasingly attractive to non-Muslim participants.

Find out how we can help you

What our clients say

“Schofield Sweeney operate as an invaluable part of our HR team, giving sensible and straight forward advice. Simon and the team have always been accessible and responsive, offering guidance on a range of queries from vaccinations to TUPE advice.” Helen Horsman The Cellar Trust

“Customer service is genuinely outstanding, you always get an immediate answer which supports effective case management.” Tracy Nash Share MAT

“They have gone above and beyond everything I’ve expected and are a great group of people who are passionate and genuinely care about what they do.” Chambers and Partners

“Their advice is always clear and consistent and speed of response is exceptional.” Lyn Ayrton Lake Legal

“They look at issues as if they were their own – taking real ownership rather than advising from the sidelines.” Legal 500

“Very supportive, knowledgeable and approachable.” Legal 500

“High-quality team who offer expert advice. Their customer service and response times are excellent.” Legal 500

“Their advice is excellent, accurate, commercially aware and aligned with our business priorities.” Chambers and Partners

“No matter the issue, they always have a person who can support us.” Chambers and Partners