Buyers guide to legal services

Real Estate

All businesses need somewhere to operate, and the right offices can create opportunities. However, as witnessed with a high-profile law firm in 2010, choosing the wrong contract can create insurmountable costs for an organisation.
The Legal 500 separates the real estate lawyers into categories including commercial property, construction, planning and property litigation.

Legal Topics

West Midlands
The West Midlands commercial property legal 500 rankings were split between powerhouse Birmingham and the rest of the region, while the other subcategories are pan-region.

Eversheds LLP, Pinsent Masons LLP, Squire Sanders Hammonds and Wragge & Co LLP were the four firms making up the top category for Birmingham. Eversheds advised on two major deals, namely the Land Securities on the sale of Stratford Shopping Centre London and Mitchells & Butlers Retail on its disposal of the Hollywood Bowl ten-pin-bowling business.

Pinsent Masons attracted a new client Orascom, which is advised on a property option agreement for its acquisition of over 600 hectares of former china clay mining land in Cornwall.

Squire Sanders Hammonds advised Advantage West Midlands and East Midlands Development Agency its new Manufacturing Technology Centre, led by Anne O'Meara and Monique Sutherland.

Wragge & Co LLP assisted Goodman in securing £47m funding for the construction of a 468,000 sq ft regional distribution centre and helped Slough Borough Council secure three agreements for the Heart of Slough.

Elsewhere in the West Midlands, Higgs & Sons, Knights solicitors LLP and Wright Hassall LLP were the top dogs. Higgs & Sons was described as providing a "first-rate service" and acts for McDonald’s and Avis Rent a Car.

Knights solicitors was praised as "City standard" with "fees and accessibility to fee-earners of a provincial practice", while Wright Hassall has "sensible and commercial lawyers" including "good all-rounder" David Slade.

Wragge & Co was out on its own in the construction category in a very strong showing for the firm, and was also joined by Pinsent Masons, Eversheds and DLA Piper in planning. Eversheds and Wragge & Co were in top spot for property litigation.

East Midlands
In the East Midlands, the commercial property field was divided into Nottingham and Derby, and the rest of the region. Again, other subcategories were across the region.

Browne Jacobson, Freeth Cartwright and Shoosmiths were the top-tier firms for Nottingham and Derby, with Shoosmiths completing £80m of disposals in 2010.

Browne Jacobson's retail team advised on the site assembly of Louis Vuitton’s Maison store in New Bond Street in 2010, while Freeth Cartwright was praised for proving "clear, commercial advice quickly".

Five firms made it into the top category for the rest of the East Midlands - Freeth Cartwright, Gateley, Harvey Ingram, Hewitsons LLP, Howes Percival LLP Leicester and Spearing Waite LLP.

Gateley's development specialist Michael Park advised on the acquisition of a 350-acre warehouse site, while Harvey Ingram has clients including Domino’s Pizza and Vision Express.

Howes Percival recently acted for Bloor Homes, while Spearing Waite acted for The White Company on its acquisition of new headquarters in London.

Freeth Cartwright topped the list for construction, Browne Jacobson and Shoosmiths were in tier one for property litigation, while Eversheds was joined by Marrons in planning, with the latter's Morag Thomson advising in relation to a sustainable urban extension to Cambridge.

Legal 500 top firms

Commercial property: Nottingham and Derby

Level 1

Browne Jacobson LLP Nottingham
Freeth Cartwright LLP Derby, Nottingham
Shoosmiths Nottingham
For the full table click here

Commercial property: Elsewhere in the East Midlands

Level 1

Freeth Cartwright LLP Leicester
Gateley Derby, Leicester
Harvey Ingram LLP Leicester
Hewitsons LLP Northampton
Howes Percival LLP Leicester, Northampton
Spearing Waite LLP Leicester
For the full table click here

Commercial property: Birmingham

Level 1

Eversheds LLP
Pinsent Masons LLP
Squire Sanders Hammonds
Wragge & Co LLP
For the full table click here

Commercial property: Elsewhere in the West Midlands

Level 1

Higgs & Sons Brierley Hill
Knights Solicitors LLP Newcastle under Lyme
Wright Hassall LLP Leamington Spa
For the full table click here

Leading Individuals: West Midlands

Nick Abell Wright Hassall LLP Commercial property
Adrian Bland Wragge & Co LLP Commercial property
Graeme Bradley DLA Piper UK LLP Construction
John Burns Wragge & Co LLP Commercial property
Mark English Shakespeares Property litigation
Richard Ford Pinsent Masons LLP Planning
Iain Gilbey Pinsent Masons LLP Planning
Nick Green Squire Sanders Hammonds Commercial property

Leading Individuals: East Midlands

Stuart Andrews Eversheds LLP Planning
Guy Berwick Freeth Cartwright LLP Construction
Geraint Davies Howes Percival LLP Property litigation
Deborah Gordon Brown Shoosmiths Commercial property
Caroline Green Browne Jacobson LLP Commercial property
Brendan Walsh Eversheds LLP Commercial property
Ian Tempest Freeth Cartwright LLP Commercial property
Guy Willetts Shoosmiths Property litigation