The Gillhams property solicitors specialise in commercial property transfer and related matters, known as conveyancing. We possess a considerable depth of knowledge and expertise in the London property market and transactions throughout the United Kingdom.

Purchasing and Leasing Property

We regularly advise landlords and tenants on commercial freeholds and leases for commercial and industrial premises which include office blocks, industrial units, manufacturing depots and retail units.

Within these types of transactions, a series of issues may arise during negotiations and in the lead up to the execution of the contract. Ensuring that the rights to sublet, rights to assign leases, rights of way, party walls where they are required are amongst the matters upon which we have provided legal advice, in addition to the protection and management of those rights.

Our advice also encompasses implications of rent deposit deeds, licences for alterations, deeds of guarantee and the impact of the Land Registration Rules that came into force in October 2003.

We have advised on the importance of restrictive covenants and the impact they have on development land and have managed to circumvent the need to comply with certain covenants by using certain creative solutions.

Our Approach

Our legal advice focuses on the affect of the law in documents and ascertaining whether objectives and expectations are met in those documents so that they are available to be exercised when or if the need arises.

At the outset, we provide our property clients with a clear estimate of fees and a clear time-scale so that clients can budget for the transaction and are aware of when the transaction is likely to complete.

Backed by decades of experience in property transactions and having acted and advised on many transactions in the largest industrial business park in Western Europe, Park Royal, our property team have had a large amount of experience dealing with manufacturing industrial and retail units.

Very often we find that our clients are keen to complete the transaction quickly and do not wish to compromise on the quality of the advice received. Due to the extent of our experience, there is not much that we have not seen in the property world. Our solicitors pride themselves on a practical approach to property transactions, which enables our clients to meet tight timetables and deadlines.

Types of transaction

We have been involved in purchases of quite a number of freehold and leasehold units over the years, which have required change of planning permissions and subsequent re-development.

We have also been instrumental in arranging innovative approaches to the funding of such deals. This has been done for major lenders and we currently act for a number of commercial lenders and advise them on various security issues.

Rights of way have always been a contentious issue. As they play such an important part in the usability of a property, a key consideration are the terms of easements and reservations to rights of way affecting property.

The varying types of transactions upon which we have provided legal advice are quite numerous, but the following gives an idea of the diversity of property work we carry out:

• Development Joint Ventures
• Property Option Agreements
• Deeds of Release
• Deeds of Adherence
• Accountable Body Agreements
• Deeds of Exchange
• Section 106 Planning Agreements
• Development Funding Agreements
• Car Parking Agreements and
• Petrol Station Agreements.