The property lifecycle
Our integrated Portfolio Management service supports occupiers and landowners throughout all stages of portfolio ownership, from acquisition to ongoing management, development, and finally disposal.
We support clients with this lifecycle in the technology, retail, telecoms and hospitality sectors, to name just a few.
Our experience covers tax structuring and REITs, asset management, planning, finance, environmental considerations, development, construction, disposal or dispute resolution.
Our Real Estate Litigation team is key to the effective management of assets.
Real Estate Litigation team
Acquisition
We help to identify risks and minimise them so you can maximise value. For instance, until we get involved, a restrictive covenant could prevent a hotel development, consent issues might hinder store re-fits for an institutional occupier, or title defects could cause issues accessing funding.
We use litigation to apply leverage, commercial common sense to navigate risks and our experience in resolving complex disputes to provide perspective and an efficient solution.
Occupation & Asset Management
We have decades of experience advising blue chip occupiers and landowners on contentious issues relating to possession strategies (e.g. for an investor client), unauthorised alterations (e.g. for a local Council), underletting and assignment consent issues (e.g. for a key telecoms operator), service charge disputes (e.g. for an institutional occupier), as well as dilapidations, break options, contentious lease renewals and other asset management issues for our high street brand clients.
We have a particular specialism in the acquisition of rights for the roll-out of new frequencies and technologies for telecoms operator clients, managing their mast estates, and the defence of assets facing possession action.
We focus on effective settlement through early mediation and other forms of ADR with practical and commercial solutions always at the forefront.
Our integrated legal services means we can do more than just the law. DWF Chambers and DWF Costs help you access specialist advocacy and litigation spend management in-house. Technology allows us to deliver efficiencies and gather data too (e.g. using legal completion data to inform litigation strategies when using the Court system to secure early completions to lock-in rental savings).
Redevelopment and other risks
Occupiers and landlords have competing interests when redevelopment is planned.
We advise landlord clients on securing vacant possession and regularly advise occupiers on remaining in occupation. We recently focused on a cost-effective commercial outcome for a tenant client by challenging possession proceedings and scrutinising redevelopment plans to apply pressure to secure a relocation and to save a new acquisition.
Exit and disposal
We recognise that disputes can prevent or delay a disposal too. We help clients to plan ahead effectively. We advise on the successful exercise of options, obtaining the appropriate warranties, releases and indemnities when portfolios are restructured, sold or vacated (e.g. in relation to unresolved dilapidations and the release of covenants).
We also support on the orderly management of the asset post-completion (e.g. when serving notices is required, legacy Court proceedings exist and there are associated asset management issues during a registration gap).
Speak with us
Our Real Estate Litigation team can support you with much more than disputes. We operate in the telecoms, technology, retail, hospitality and industrial sectors and we act for landlords and occupiers across the full lifecycle of commercial property portfolio management. We can support business strategy, protect value, manage risk and unlock opportunity by effectively using our experience to resolve the problems that our clients face.
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss our Portfolio Management services further.
