Michael Hall
Senior Associate
0161 836 8953 07342998134 michael.hall@brabners.com
Michael is a Senior Associate in our real estate development team.
He advises on social housing, regeneration and residential development, focusing on section 106 affordable housing acquisitions, development transactions and infrastructure arrangements. His work includes s106 variations and compliance, large‑scale affordable housing and regeneration schemes, land bank and development site acquisitions, infrastructure agreements, development due diligence and portfolio transactions.
Michael is known for solving complex title and contractual issues, giving clear, pragmatic commercial advice and progressing transactions efficiently from instruction to completion. He works with housing associations, registered providers and private developers, helping them to navigate planning obligations, funding requirements and delivery timetables.
Since qualifying in 2016, he’s worked exclusively in housing and regeneration, holding Associate and Senior Associate roles at two specialist firms before joining us. His interest in law began after seeing his dad complete a law degree as a mature student and he was drawn to the sector for its mix of technical challenge and community impact.
Michael is actively involved in mentoring, client training, framework tenders and wider team development. Outside work, he enjoys running and cycling and has completed multiple full and half marathons for charities including the British Heart Foundation and the Seashell.
He joined us in April 2026 and is based in our Manchester office.
Case examples
Acting on complex s106 plots, VAT issues & further purchases
Acted on an initial acquisition of around 100 s106 plots which involved various issues, including variations to the s106 and amendments to VAT provisions due to issues with the developer and HMRC. Transactional documents were subsequently amended to move the deal to a golden brick arrangement. The site involved a complex title review and third-party consents, including Network Rail. Following this, further plot acquisitions were completed (around 200 units, non-s106) across various tranches, all under tight timescales.
Handling s106 plots from two different developers
Acted on s106 acquisitions including a 58 unit purchase at Penwortham Mills and a 79 unit scheme involving plots purchased from two different developers on the same site. The latter required working through two separate sets of developer contract requirements for plots within a single site, creating a more complex and unusual transaction structure.
Negotiating acquisition & lease back to the Council
Acted on the acquisition of Pendleton House in Salford. The matter involved negotiating the surrender of an existing lease back to the Council and the grant of a new lease, alongside entering into s106 and s111 agreements. All elements needed to align simultaneously with completion.
Managing developer administration & deposit recovery
Acted on affordable housing acquisitions where the developer entered administration. The work involved negotiating recovery of the client’s deposit and re-entering into contract with a different developer to complete the build and onward sale of the plots.