England - South East • Real estate
Freeths LLP’s Oxford-based multi-disciplinary commercial property offering undertakes commercial development work for long-standing corporate clients, alongside representing national operators in the logistics and industrial sector, and fostering a growing specialism in transactions arising out of the life sciences and healthcare sectors. Experienced real estate practitioner Patrick Whetter leads the team, and is praised as ‘capable, knowledgeable and approachable’. Philip Gray is a specialist when it comes to acting for occupiers and advising on the property elements of corporate work. Laura Brown is another important port of call within the department.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘We have found Freeths to be a pro-active firm. They will point out potential problems with an area of our business before it gets to a stage where fire engine practice becomes necessary.'
‘Practical and pragmatic advice. Thorough and yet also converse plainly. Tight, well-experienced team.’
‘Laura Brown is an extremely proficient lawyer who has a no-nonsense straightforward approach to problems and delivering advice.'
‘Patrick Whetter is a joy to work with. He is capable, knowledgeable and approachable. I am very confident in his ability to get the job done and his representation of me as a client. Patrick understands our needs and the challenges that we work with.’
‘We receive an excellent service from Freeths - responsive, supportive and knowledgeable. While most of our work is in one area, they also have a wider team we can access if necessary and this has been useful to us on more than one occasion.’
‘The two solicitors we deal with regularly are Philip Gray and Kelly Sawyer and they are outstanding; responsive, supportive and knowledgeable as well as willing and able to explain legal issues and terminology in everyday language which is very welcome.'
‘A very focused and sensible approach that suits my business, Freeths deliver often complex legal advice and support delivering it in a straightforward and easy to understand manner.’
Rising stars
Laura has wide experience dealing with a broad range of real estate property matters. She handles acquisitions and disposals of freehold and leasehold properties, investment property, development with construction aspects, commercial landlord and tenant matters and real estate finance. Laura’s clients range from SMEs to large corporate organisations, LLPs, partnerships, financial institutions, the public sector and a number of exempt and non-exempt charities.
Leading individuals
Philip specialises exclusively in commercial real estate matters and has a wide range of experience of all areas of non-contentious commercial property work. He has worked extensively for both landlords and tenants on all leasehold matters (particularly for offices; retail & industrial/warehouse units); handles complex investment sales & purchases; real estate finance; and has considerable experience in advising on the property elements of corporate acquisitions and disposals.As an example of Philip’s experience in the acquisition of business property and its subsequent management, over the past 10 years Philip has acted for a particular business in growing its property portfolio from approximately 30 sites to 200 (comprising retail, warehouse and offices) across the UK. This has included leading the property team on individual and multi-site acquisitions; the leasehold management of those sites (work which involved the grant & taking assignments of leases; lease-re-gears; statutory lease renewals; property disputes; alterations and dilapidations); and their disposal. Clients say that Philip is “consistently available and responsive to all and any advice or solutions that are required either of a technical or commercial nature” and that Philip makes “it his purpose to be totally conversant with every detail of his client’s portfolio and consequently the advice he gives is bespoke to its’ business; not merely generic”
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Patrick Whetter