Demand for commercial property – from companies desperate to grow and investors – has been maintained at exceptional levels in the East of England compared to the rest of the UK in a challenging economic climate.

The tighter the market gets the more important it becomes to have astute legal advice to strike the right terms, whether companies are buying or leasing.

A number of investment and development companies with sizeable war chests are also stalking the market looking for opportunities with decent yields.
The Legal 500 guide pays due homage to the high quality of the region’s Real Estate lawyers.

Mills & Reeve is accorded stand-alone number one slot for Cambridge while Hewitsons and Taylor Vinters share the second ranked berth. The Legal 500 reports: “Mills & Reeve’s advice is ‘always appropriate and understandable to a non-lawyer’. Michelle Cookson, Nick Finlayson-Brown, Christine de Ferrars Green, Charles Staveley (‘particularly strong, always direct and proactive’) and Tim Allsop (‘skilful in negotiations’) are key figures in the team, whose recent work includes the CB1 development in Cambridge and the Addenbrooke’s Hospital 2020 project. The firm also advised O&H Properties on a 6,900-home development with land values over £20m.

“At Hewitsons, Elizabeth Jones, Graeme Sampson and James Simpson are ‘very proactive, alert, thorough and diligent’, and are appreciated for their ‘strength and tenacity to get things done’. Jones is advising the Medical Research Council as a member of the UKCMRI joint venture behind a £600m research centre in London. Other clients are as far afield as Devon and Northumberland.”

The guide reports that Elizabeth Deyong, Steven Beach and Michaela Henson at Taylor Vinters are ‘easy to work with, friendly and supportive’, ‘offer clear advice, and are willing to explore every possibility and act quickly and reliably’. Winning Greene King as a client was a major coup, it says.

Clients volunteer that the advice on offer at Birketts’ young Cambridge office is ‘always thoroughly sound and delivered quickly and clearly’. Kath Herbert is ‘incredibly strong on joint property ventures’, and Jonathan Greenhalgh is ‘diplomatic, and does not bother with trivia,’ according to feedback gained by the guide.

The Legal 500 continues: “At Eversheds, Dominic Morris stands out for his development and regeneration work and Zoe Cooke has notable expertise in affordable housing. The firm counts Taylor Wimpey and many London borough councils as clients. Tracey Hughes and Alice Liddle moved to Howes Percival LLP in Norwich.

“Kester Cunningham John’s Charles Webb and Magnus McManus are noted for the client-centred approach and eye for value. McManus handles the national portfolio of Savills, and is advising a Cambridge College on a £10m land sale to a national housebuilder.

“Active in commercial landlord/tenant work and acquisitions, including two schemes in Cambridge over £5m, Alastair Lorimer at Tees Solicitors ‘gives good sound advice and never keeps you waiting’.”

Birketts is stand-alone number one for Commercial property advice in Ipswich, as far as the Legal 500 is concerned. It says: “Birketts  ‘achieves what it sets out to do – provide a London type of service at regional prices’, through partners including Chris Barker, Richard Eaton, Nigel Farthing and Nick Tavener. Hopkins Homes is an active client.”

Mills & Reeve is out on its own as number one in Norwich.

The guide says: ‘At Mills & Reeve, service levels are high, response times short, and value for money is better than most City firms’. Tim Ryan garners praise for his work with local and national clients, and recently assisted on the letting of Baskerville House in Birmingham to the Office for Legal Complaints. Caroline Dean advised Colney Innovations on a £5m project in the Norwich Research Park expansion.”

Birketts in Norwich, according to the guide, has ‘great business acumen and in-depth knowledge of regional property issues’. Robert Gibbs is ‘personable, efficient, and commercially minded’, with ‘excellent client communication’. Longstanding clients include Bernard Matthews Farms.

‘Concise, on time and within budget’, Philip Hunter’s team at Howes Percival has brought in Tracey Hughes and Alice Liddle from Eversheds. It recently handled sales, leases and development agreements for Ford dealerships across the UK.

Kester Cunningham John has lost Chris Gilbert, but Simon Cunningham and James Slinger are prominent in the region and beyond, says the guide. The team advised Dacorum Borough Council on the £3.2m redevelopment of a derelict site in Hemel Hempstead.

On the enduringly vibrant Peterborough property scene, Buckles is noted for its partner-led service and acts for many public sector clients as well as private businesses. Michael Rabbett and Michael Blank are recommended.

The guide adds that the ‘Knowledgeable, attentive and with complete mastery of her subject’, Karin Horsley leads a ‘very responsive, practical and pragmatic’ team at Greenwoods. Stephen Illingworth is ‘very knowledgeable, and able to communicate without resorting to legal jargon’.

Kimbells in Milton Keynes and Taylor Walton in Luton earn second tier ratings for property advice in the Beds, Bucks, Herts section of the South East area while Tees secures a coveted third tier ranking.

The Legal 500 says: “Delivering ‘excellent, accurate advice’, Kimbells was reappointed to Whitbread’s panel of solicitors in 2010, and is currently handling an increased volume of estate management work for the client. Valerie Warman is ‘extremely thorough, especially regarding attention to contract detail’.

It adds that Taylor Walton LLP maintains ‘excellent industry awareness and business acumen’, and continues to act for key client Capita Group in connection with its 300 properties in England and Wales. Practice head Angela Thomas and managing partner Dermot Carey are recommended.

The Legal 500 adds that with more than 30 years’ practice in the field, Govan Bramley heads the commercial property group at Tees Solicitors, which has expertise in the residential sector.

Birketts makes the second tier in Essex. Grace Kerr leads the Chelmsford team which last year advised on regional office acquisitions for an insurance company and the refinancing of a portfolio of seven care homes for a national bank. Other clients include Benefit Cosmetics and Essex County Cricket Club.

• PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS: Kath Herbert, Birketts