Watson Farley & Williams LLP advises clients along the full life-cycle of development projects, with specialists in planning, construction, financing, disposals and leasing ready to assist. The firm is familiar with greenfield and brownfield site developments, be they in the office, retail, logistics or mixed-use sectors. Gary Ritter leads the practice, and is an expert in the renewables space. Joining from DWF in November 2023, Deepa Deb is a key team member, focusing on traditional and alternative residential assets. Barry Hembling adds construction experience.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Gold standard for responsiveness and commercial awareness.’

  • ‘John Rosmini's attention to detail, pragmatism and responsiveness are second to none. This, combined with his approachable demeanour, makes him an excellent advisor.’

  • ‘Amazing, clear, user-friendly communication. Always act in clients' best interests, understand exactly what is needed and strive to achieve this even under challenging circumstances.’

  • ‘John Rosmini and his team are exceptional at what they do. They are approachable, responsive, pragmatic, focused on problem-solving and always achieve the best outcome for clients.’

  • ‘Highly responsive and attentive team. Very commercial in their approach.’

  • ‘Deepa Deb continues to be standout as an individual. She is highly reliable, works well with clients and is totally trustworthy.'

  • ‘Well coordinated team, with specialists brought together under a client focused manager.’

  • ‘Dev Desai is highly competent and straightforward to deal with.'

Key clients

  • Danescroft
  • Monta Capital
  • Gravity Co-Living
  • BP Pension Fund
  • Frasers Property
  • P3P Partners
  • Zaha Hadid
  • Abbey Healthcare
  • The Wolseley Hospitality Group
  • Crossmark Developments Limited
  • Rheinmetall Defence UK Ltd

Work highlights

  • Advising Ropemaker Properties Limited regarding the forward funding development comprised of 27 industrial and distribution units in Bristol.
  • Advising Ropemaker Properties Limited's development manager, Crossmark Estates, on the development of a BTR scheme of 429 residential units, commercial space, on site car parking and attractive public open space in Reading.
  • Advising Varco Energy HoldCo 1 Limited on its circa £58m project financing of a battery storage project. Our team provided real estate commercial and pragmatic advice to resolve property matters affecting the two properties on which the projects were to be installed.

Lawyers

Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Gary Ritter

Other key lawyers

Deepa Deb, Barry Hembling, John Rosmini, Dev Desai