Shoosmiths LLP

Real Estate South

Ben is a Partner and has worked extensively for residential, commercial and mixed-use developers throughout his career, as well as a number of local authorities, regional development agencies and registered providers. Ben’s development project work includes the drafting and negotiation of multi-phase, multi-conditional development agreements, collaboration and joint venture agreements (including public/private JVs), remediation conditions, overage provisions, land assembly, asset management, acquisitions and disposals.

He regularly advises on the contractual framework and heads of terms at the project outset, then drafts and negotiates the various agreements, incorporating all necessary outputs, milestones, key performance indicators, clawback, security, overage and step-in provisions. He is adept at anticipating, identifying and thereafter mitigating public law and other risk factors such as state aid, vires, best value, procurement and governance issues.

Ben's recent projects have included:
•Working on behalf of a consortium of PLC residential developer in the strategic acquisition of a 3,000 unit new urban extension;
•Working on behalf of a consortium of PLC residential developer in the strategic acquisition of a site for a 1,000 unit new neighbourhood;
•Working on behalf of a PLC residential developer and a registered provider in their joint venture acquisition of a complex brownfield regeneration site from the HCA;
•Working on behalf of a residential developer on a number of equity and debt funded acquisitions of immediate land.

Ben has also advised high-street lenders in development projects and investment transactions, and so, when acting for the borrower or public sector partner, is adept at identifying the bank's likely requirements.

Ben's experience includes mixed use regeneration schemes, hotels, restaurants, leisure facilities, offices, warehouses, supermarkets, industrial units, motorway service stations, residential / affordable housing developments and educational establishments.