How Everton's new stadium became a catalyst for regeneration
We explore the legal and commercial considerations that underpinned the successful sport-led regeneration scheme for Bramley-Moore Dock and Liverpool Waters.
Real Estate Lawyers
Our real estate team is an award-winning leader with the scale to deliver complex projects through end-to-end legal advice and management.
Talk to usAny property deal can be a complex transaction, fraught with potential challenges. With over 120 talented lawyers and solicitors in our extensive real estate group, we’re here to guide you throughout the entire lifecycle of a transaction, smoothly navigate any issues that arise along the way and manage every legal need for your new or existing real estate assets.
We act for and collaborate closely with developers, landowners, funders, investors, main-contractors, sub-contractors, housebuilders, landlords and tenants to guide projects — no matter how large or complex — towards successful completion.
We’re proud to be a leader in major infrastructure and regeneration projects, recognised by The Legal 500 for our involvement in “some of the biggest and most complicated development deals in recent times”. Our work has included ports, airports, hotels and office buildings, as well as logistics, leisure and transport infrastructure.
Our teams all contain specialist lawyers who live and breathe what they do:
- Asset management: covers all legal aspects of owning and letting properties. We’re adept at undertaking large project work and big property portfolios to get deals over the line in a timely and pragmatic manner.
- Commercial development: efficiently facilitates positive outcomes for complex, high-profile deals — advising and adding value throughout the entire development lifecycle.
- Construction: handles key construction issues to enable projects to be well structured from the outset and run as smoothly as possible.
- Housing & communities: handles the full range of matters for regional and national affordable housing providers, housebuilders and leasehold management companies.
- Planning: provides comprehensive planning advice and support across all aspects of development projects, including on complex planning agreements, planning appeals and Judicial Reviews.
- Property disputes & litigation: experienced property litigators who provide support on all aspects of contentious property law, from complex commercial lease conflicts to residential boundary disputes.
Our real estate team is proud to have won the Legal Team of the Year award at the EG Awards 2024 and Legal/Professional Team of the Year for commercial property at the Property Awards 2023.
We’re delighted to act for many exceptional clients including Peel Waters, Muse Places, Ion Developments, Morrisons, Primark, Cobalt Housing, Onward, The Regenda Group, Torus and Your Housing Group.
Recognised by
Specialist, award-winning real estate lawyers
Our extensive team is led by Iain Gamble. Recognised by The Legal 500 and clients for his “collaborative approach and commercial pragmatism”, Iain provides strategic advice on complex projects to help them reach a successful completion. Iain is also a skilled negotiator, known for his “calm, non-confrontational and pleasant manner” as well as his expertise in property development and regeneration, where he specialises in long-term, large-scale and complex urban renewal projects.
Iain ensures that pace, precision and purpose are at the heart of everything we do. Our lawyers combine legal expertise with commercial agility to accelerate real estate projects — driving progress, unlocking opportunities and delivering results at speed.
Other key members of our real estate team include Head of Construction Barry Goodall, Head of Development Roy Barry, Head of Investment & Property Management Richard Roberts, Head of Property Litigation Andrew Rogers and Joint Heads of Housing Helen Brown and Jo Morton.
We appreciate that every detail matters to navigate complex legal systems and keep projects moving forward. Our deep understanding of local markets and longstanding relationships with councils, developers and funders across the country enable us to get things done.
Proud to work with
“We worked with Roy Barry and his team on our strategic partnership with Salford Council. I was particularly impressed with the manner in which the Brabners team got to grips with the history and commercial background fast and then ran with it to find legal solutions with a collaborative approach. The team’s deep sector knowledge and collaborative approach were instrumental in navigating complex legal issues to get us into contract at pace.”
Claire Slinger, Legal Director, Muse Places
“Brabners has an exceptional ability to deal with complex regeneration projects with a calm collaborative approach that instils confidence and trust in both us and our public sector partners. The team’s deep understanding of the development process has helped us complete a detailed multi-phase development agreement for our Hind Street Development as well as supporting us with procurement and planning advice. This has enabled us to achieve our commercial objective whilst meeting our clients’ requirements.”
Steve Parry, Managing Director, Ion Developments
“Brabners has worked with the Peel Waters team on the Liverpool Waters project since it began. The team’s knowledge of what is one of the largest regeneration projects of its kind is essential to us delivering on our 30-year vision for the area. The collaborative approach and commercial pragmatism from Iain Gamble and his team allows us to navigate any legal issues that arise and ultimately helps us meet our objective of transforming the city’s iconic waterfront and bringing life back to the historic docklands.”
Chris Capes, Development Director, Liverpool Waters
“The Brabners housing team has worked with Cobalt for many years on the land acquisitions and construction contracts required to progress our ambition to regenerate our Croxteth heartland and improve our communities. Brabners’ deep sector knowledge is second to none and their collaborative approach supports our development partnerships and is instrumental in navigating complex issues to achieve our regeneration objectives.”
Louise Davies, Executive Director, Communities and Regeneration, Cobalt Housing
“We worked alongside Brabners and the Council to deliver the procurement of a private sector partner for the regeneration of Oldham Town Centre. As a project team we managed to get from first legal dialogue session to award in just seven months. That is fast on a project of this scale and complexity. It demonstrates how both the CBRE and Brabners teams are quick to deliver positive outcomes in public procurement for regeneration, which can sometimes suffer from slow and cumbersome processes. The sector knowledge and collaborative approach of Roy Barry and Michael Winder in particular were instrumental in navigating complex legal issues to achieve the Council’s regeneration objectives.”
Adam White, Executive Director, CBRE
“It’s not just the size of the business, it’s what you do with it. That is what led our judges to select this year’s legal award winner. A firm that is purpose-led, true to its roots and putting its business where its values are.”
EG Awards 2024
“Iain Gamble manages to seamlessly combine his role as head of development with undertaking complex property transactions of substantial scale. His calm, non-confrontational and pleasant manner pays dividends in negotiations as it discourages counterparts from taking fixed positions and he’s seen as honest and trustworthy by all parties.”
The Legal 500, 2024
“Iain Gamble has an innate confidence and depth of knowledge. His knowledge of deal structures and issues is excellent and his drafting is clear and concise. He can draw on a wealth of knowledge of recent transactions that support the current negotiations. Fees are fair and his overall approach helps to get deals done within a reasonable timeframe and cost.”
The Legal 500, 2024
Our specialist teams
Our award-winning commercial development and regeneration lawyers efficiently facilitate positive outcomes for complex, high-profile deals.
We go the extra mile to help you achieve successful construction projects.
We handle all legal elements, from putting in place leases, licences and other documents.
Our specialist planning lawyers excel in providing comprehensive planning advice and support across all aspects of development projects.
We work in collaboration with our clients’ in-house teams and agents to secure the best possible results.
Specialist local government lawyers with strong track records.
Real estate insights
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We explore the legal and commercial considerations that underpinned the successful sport-led regeneration scheme for Bramley-Moore Dock and Liverpool Waters.
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Andrius Roos from our housing law team demystifies Mortgagee Protection Clauses and when they should be used.
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The UK Supreme Court's judgment in Brown v Ridley and Another has important implications for adverse possession claims — particularly in boundary disputes.
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The High Court ruled in favour of Iya Patarkatsishvili and Yevhen Hunyak in their case against William Woodward-Fisher on claims of fraudulent misrepresentation concerning a severe moth infestation.
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Our housing team explores proposed changes to the shared ownership scheme and its future.
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The Government has revamped the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to pave the way for the delivery of 1.5m new homes over the next five years.
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As a ‘Client’, you must make suitable arrangements for planning, managing and monitoring your project to ensure compliance with the Building Regulations.
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The Court of Appeal considered the cases of Hajan v Brent LBC & Poplar HARCA v Kerr. What does this outcome mean for landlords and their communities?
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