A reformed Decent Homes Standard (DHS) could extend minimum housing standards that landlords must provide for tenants to the private rented sector.
Read moreHousebuilders
Our top-tier housing team adds value throughout the full lifecycle of your residential developments.
Talk to usWith the much-needed push to provide more high-quality homes over the coming years, housebuilders need a reliable legal team that acts proactively and collaboratively to get the job done.
From advising on the initial structuring and financing of projects to assisting with planning and land acquisition, negotiating development and construction agreements and dealing with the critical disposals, management and refinancing — as well as advising on any disputes that arise along the way — our experts can support even the largest and most complex transactions.
We have the experience required to support all your legal needs, including delays in securing planning permission for development, access to funding, biodiversity net gain and Future Homes Standard compliance.
Experienced property lawyers
Our team is led by experienced property lawyers Helen Brown and Ellen Hawthorne.
Recognised as a Leading Partner in The Legal 500 2025, Helen handles large-scale site acquisition and assembly for both residential and commercial developers, involving option agreements, freehold and long leasehold purchase contracts with complex conditionality, overage agreements, surrenders, licences, deeds of rectification and easements.
Ellen is an experienced real estate lawyer who specialises in freehold and leasehold acquisitions and disposals, drainage easements, securitisation and residential and commercial development work, advising on issues such as site assembly matters and infrastructure agreements and estate and asset management matters.
Our development team supports with all types of acquisitions, disposals, site set ups and infrastructure agreements and our plot sales team deals with all affordable housing and private sale disposals in an efficient and cost-effective manner to help our clients realise those critical capital receipts.
Our planning and construction teams provide the ancillary advice and services required on all developments and our litigation team steps in when things do not go quite to plan, including advice on contractor insolvencies and disputes.
Our services for housebuilders
- Full planning, development & construction services
- Advice on Section 106 affordable housing requirements & planning constraints
- Funding document advice (including grant-funding agreements)
- Site acquisition & assembly services
- Banking & funding advice
- Financial modelling support
- Corporate transactions
- Commercial & contract law
- Disputes & litigation
- Governance arrangements (including shareholders agreements & articles)
- Structuring options (including joint ventures & partnerships)
- Fundraising & securitisation
“The services we have received across a broad spectrum of areas within our business have been of a high quality and the users within our business consistently provide positive feedback.”
Your Housing Group
“Helen Brown is noted for her expertise in regeneration work.”
The Legal 500 2025
“Excellent breadth of knowledge… Everything available from one firm.”
The Legal 500, 2024
“Excellent advice which is bespoke to our needs. The whole team is responsive, knows our organisation well and clearly invests in its people.”
The Legal 500, 2024
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Case highlights
Acquisition, development and grant funding
Advising Cobalt on the acquisition, development and grant funding in respect of a former car park site for 88 affordable homes for a mix of tenures. This is a significant regeneration project in Cobalt’s heartland of Croxteth in Liverpool. Advice was provided by our development, planning, construction and corporate teams.
Acquisition of 260-unit site
Advising a significant registered provider on the acquisition and development of a 260-unit site for various tenures. We provided a full range of services, including charity, governance, funding, property, construction, planning and taxation advice for both the RP and its subsidiary Devco.
Landowner joint venture
Advising a property developer in a joint venture with the landowner, which involved a major supermarket, registered provider and residential developer, along with the redevelopment of a market hall. We advised on a range of matters including conveyancing, title investigation and vacant possession strategy, preparing and negotiating the JV, planning conditions and the acquisition of surrounding property.
New homes partnership advice
Advising Torus on its partnership with housebuilder Castle Green Homes, which will see the delivery of around 589 new homes across four sites for a variety of tenures including shared ownership, affordable rent and open market sales.
Brokering joint venture agreement
Advising a special purpose vehicle (SPV) on a novel lettings concept where the owners were several major registered providers. We acted as an ‘honest broker’ to put a fair joint venture agreement in place that met all parties’ commercial requirements — protecting them from a governance perspective while allowing the SPV to operate autonomously (save for key decisions). We minimised legal costs that might have been incurred if each owner had been separately represented.
Residential leases and leasehold schemes
Advising various registered providers on residential leases (conventional and new-build shared ownership) and leasehold schemes for the elderly, bespoke low-cost home ownership schemes and criss-cross (Tyneside-lease) disposals of maisonettes.
Financing advice
Advising various major RPs on the provision of financing and loan facilities, including around term loan and revolving credit, bond issues, cross-corporate guarantees and debentures.
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