Commercial Development Solicitors

GoodLaw’s commercial property solicitors advise developers, landowners, investors, and funders on complex development schemes across England and Wales, providing clear, commercially grounded support.

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Commercial Property Lawyers in London, Sussex & Surrey

LONDON: 020 4524 9436 | SUSSEX: 01273 956 270 | SURREY: 01252 471 211

Strategic Legal Guidance for Commercial Property & Land Development

Commercial development projects benefit from clear legal advice from the outset. Our specialist commercial property solicitors work with clients at the earliest stages, helping put sound legal foundations in place and reducing the risk of issues arising later in the process. Early involvement allows potential problems to be identified and dealt with before they affect funding, timescales, or overall viability.

We act on a broad range of commercial and mixed-use developments. Our support typically includes:

Early-stage structuring to align legal arrangements with commercial objectives.
Identification of title, planning, funding, and construction risks before commitment.
Integrated advice alongside surveyors, planners, architects, and lenders.
Clear documentation that supports build-out, funding, and eventual exit.

Our Expertise

Land acquisition and site assembly

Our solicitors advise on acquiring and assembling development sites, helping identify legal issues before commitments are made, including agreeing heads of terms. Title, access, rights, and restrictions are reviewed early, reducing the risk of problems emerging later in the project.

Where land is secured through options, conditional contracts, or promotion agreements, advice focuses on maintaining flexibility and protecting future value. The aim is to give developers clarity at an early stage, allowing decisions to be taken with confidence and schemes to progress without avoidable delay.

Development agreements and joint ventures

Our solicitors advise on the legal structures that sit behind development partnerships, including development agreements and joint ventures. The focus is on setting out clear responsibilities, managing risk between parties, and avoiding uncertainty as schemes progress.

Agreements are drafted with delivery in mind, ensuring they reflect how the project will operate in practice. This helps reduce friction between stakeholders and provides a stable framework for long-term or phased developments.

We also advise on collaboration agreements where multiple parties are working together to promote or deliver a scheme.

Planning and infrastructure obligations

Legal advice supports the planning process by helping developers manage obligations that arise alongside consent. This includes advising on planning agreements and arrangements that affect timing, cost, and deliverability.

The emphasis is on clarity and flexibility, ensuring obligations are properly documented without restricting how a scheme can evolve. Early involvement helps prevent planning-related issues from delaying funding or construction.

Development finance and funding arrangements

Our team advises on development finance documentation, working closely with funders to ensure facilities support the project structure. Legal input focuses on lender requirements, security arrangements, and conditions that may affect drawdown or delivery.

By addressing finance terms early, our solicitors help reduce delays and ensure funding arrangements remain workable as the development moves forward.

Construction and project delivery

Clear legal documentation is essential once works begin on site. Our solicitors advise on construction contracts, professional appointments, and related agreements to ensure responsibilities and risk are clearly defined. Where disputes arise during the build phase, we work closely with our property litigation team to protect our clients’ commercial position.

The aim is to support smooth delivery, minimise disputes, and provide appropriate protection if issues arise during the build phase.

Disposal and exit strategy

Legal advice also supports the sale or exit from a completed development. Our solicitors ensure documentation reflects the development history and meets investor or purchaser requirements.

By considering exit arrangements early, developers can reduce delays at disposal and protect value when a project reaches completion.

Key Contacts

Owen Walsh

Gareth Collins

Resources

Our Commercial Property Team

Janek Malysko

M

Sophie Richard

R

Robyn Munro

M

Catherine Mears

Gareth Collins

C

Zach Dolton

Patrick Coni

C

Megan Croydon-Miles

C

Megan Peel

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Elizabeth Yel

Elizabeth Yel

Y

Diane Munro

M

Ellie Maslen

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