Commercial Development & Regeneration

We’re not only known for our legal acumen but our collaborative ethos and approach. 

Since development transactions can take months (or even years) to broker and put together — long before lawyers enter the fray — we always want to reach the right commercial outcome for all parties involved as quickly and painlessly as possible. Our ability to effectively assess and manage transactions to reach a swift conclusion is second-to-none.

Our team lives by a set of ‘golden rules’ that dictate how we conduct development transactions.

1. Commercial reality comes first — we always treat the counterparty as the customer (unless told otherwise). We look to gain a deep understanding of the nature of this relationship before commencing the legal detail to ensure a smooth transition from commercial discussion to legal negotiation.
2. Collaboration is king — we have no room for egos. We avoid legal point-scoring with the lawyers acting for a counterparty and focus on achieving a successful outcome.
3. Pragmatic legal approach — we know all too well the importance of the bargaining position. That’s why we take care to understand the relative positions of all parties and tailor our legal approach accordingly.
4. Non-legal problems are our problems too — we’re alive to any issues that could delay or thwart a transaction timetable. As your ‘second pair of eyes’, we use our experience to flag commercial and practical problems before they become legal ones.

As a purpose-led independent law firm, we strongly believe that business has a responsibility to bring about positive and lasting change. That’s why we look to build long-term, trusted relationships with clients who share our values. Our independence allows us to be objective and principled when choosing who we represent, while providing a service with heart and character.

Our mission — to make the difference for our clients, people and communities — closely aligns with our commercial development and regeneration offering. Our team is proudly anchored in the North from four modern offices in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Lancashire — bringing both regional and national market knowledge and experience to our clients’ projects.

We’re committed to supporting the future of the North through our True North network, which aims to unite the region’s most influential and purpose-driven voices to co-create a path forward and unlock the true potential of the Northern economy. Our Advisory Council brings together leaders at the heart of transformative projects across the North to collaborate, identify new partnerships and help to scale their impact.

As a certified B Corp, we adopt the treatment of people and planet as measures of success alongside profit. We were proud to be shortlisted for Sustainable Business of the Year by the edie Awards in 2023 alongside the likes of Vodafone, EY and E.ON and to win the Sustainability Initiative of the Year Award at the Lawyer Awards 2023. We were also named the best law firm and 11th best large company to work for in the UK by Best Companies for 2024 and CSR Champions of the Year at the Manchester Legal Awards.

Our independent grant-making charity — The Brabners Foundation — enables us to channel the energy of our public-spirited people and clients towards improving our communities. It continues our rich tradition of alleviating hardship wherever we can.

Construction

Our construction team has extensive experience in providing the full range of contentious and non-contentious legal services.

From the procurement stage to drafting contracts and sub-contract terms, consultants’ appointments, development agreements, agreements for lease, warranties, guarantees, novations and bonds, our construction experts work closely and collaboratively with our commercial development team.

Procurement

Specialists in large-scale procurement work, our public procurement team provides advice on all aspects of procurement law, as well as end-to-end support on tenders.

We’re members of the Procurement Lawyers’ Association and advise on contentious and non-contentious matters for both the private and public sectors — giving us a rounded perspective of the needs and challenges on both sides.

Our clients include local authorities, registered providers of social housing and developers.

Subsidy control law

This is a niche area that requires specific analysis based on a given scenario. It also requires the practitioner to be up to date on all guidance and decisions of the Subsidy Control Unit. 

Our procurement team has an appreciation of subsidy control and makes use of our trusted network of external counsel to seek opinions on any issues that might arise. This enables us to provide swift and commercially focused advice.