Constructing a new property development, whether commercial, residential, or mixed-use, is a significant undertaking. It demands precise legal support from the earliest stages of site acquisition to final disposal. Our commercial property solicitors at HRJ Foreman Laws are here to guide you through the entire development lifecycle, helping you manage your risks and realise your investment.
We work with a wide range of clients, from well-known property companies and developers to house builders, landowners, and investors, providing dedicated legal expertise at every step of your project.
We are there with you from the very beginning of your project through to its successful completion.
Our services include:
We manage the legal process for acquiring land and assembling sites for development. This includes:
Find out more about Option, Promotion and Overage agreements.
We provide essential legal guidance throughout the planning process and manage all necessary agreements relating to infrastructure and existing land rights:
Find out more about the essential legal due diligence before acquiring a development site.
We advise on and manage the legal aspects of construction and securing development finance:
Once your development is complete, we assist with the sale or leasing of the units:
Here’s what sets our approach apart:
Extensive experience – We bring extensive experience, with a strong track record of supporting well-known property companies, developers, house builders, landowners, and investors across a wide range of commercial and residential developments. We act as your dedicated legal partner from the very beginning of your project through to completion.
Proactive risk management – We proactively identify and work to resolve potential legal challenges. We offer practical, strategic advice that extends beyond just the legal paperwork, helping you manage risks and realise the full value of your investment.
Integrated legal advice – Property development often intertwines with wider business and financial needs. Our commercial property team works seamlessly with our company and commercial solicitors and our conveyancing team when their expertise is required.
Clear communication – We keep you fully informed at every stage, explaining complex legal concepts in plain language so you always understand the progress and implications of your development.
Tailored legal advice – We understand every development project is unique. Our approach is always tailored to your specific goals, providing legal solutions that work for your exact needs.
Specialised local knowledge – Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City – Due to our long-standing links with Hertfordshire, we have extensive experience advising clients on properties within the Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation and Welwyn Garden City Estate Management Schemes. We understand the specific covenants and consents required in these unique areas.
Thorough legal due diligence is the most important step a developer can take before committing to the purchase of a site. Identifying risks early protects the viability of the project, prevents delays, and ensures that any agreement for sale, option, promotion, or joint venture is structured on a sound legal foundation.
Nick Davies, commercial property solicitor at HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors talks about an Option, Promotion, and Overage Agreement, and how to structure a successful site assembly.
On 27 January 2026, the Government confirmed it will cap ground rents at £250 per year for existing leasehold homes in England and Wales. It’s a major step in leasehold reform aimed at reducing costs for owners and making properties easier to sell.
Over the next 18 months, 3 important legal updates are set to directly impact business operational costs & the value of commercial property assets.
We are proud to share some exciting news from the recent Hertfordshire Law Society Awards dinner, where our very own Orlagh Willis, Commercial Property Solicitor, received special acknowledgment. Orlagh was commended by the Law Society for achieving outstanding SQE (Solicitors Qualifying Examination) results, highlighting her exceptional performance in these rigorous examinations.
Nick Davies, Director at HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors considers the legalities of buying or leasing premises in the food and beverage sector. There are so many things to consider when you are running a restaurant, bar or cafe but with the right legal advice from a solicitor that understands the property market, you should be able to make the right property choice for your business and get on with running it your way.
On 19 November 2024, the Law Commission published a significant consultation paper, the first step in a two-part review of Part 2 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (LTA 1954). Chris Hook outlines the key elements of the consultation and what it could mean for landlords, tenants, and the wider property
The Infrastructure Levy was introduced by the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023. In this article we discuss the legislation and what it means for property developers.
Landlords should be aware of some important aspects when preparing a commercial lease for their tenants. A generic lease is unlikely to cover everything that is needed. This can lead to unwanted disputes between the landlord and the tenant.
Many businesses are using or operating from rented premises. This means they will have agreed to the terms of a commercial lease and will be paying a market rent. But what exactly does signing a commercial lease involve? What should businesses know about a commercial lease?
We have opened a new office in Old Harlow, Essex. The expansion into the town is to provide landowners, commercial landlords, commercial tenants, and property developers easier access to the firm’s commercial property legal services.
Nicholas Davies, Commercial Property Solicitor at HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors highlights some of the most important things landlords and tenants should know about dilapidations clauses in a commercial lease.
Harjeet Pansear, commercial property solicitor at HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors takes a closer look at the 'quiet enjoyment' and 'derogation from grant' concepts in a commercial lease. How can they can affect landlords and tenants?
A ‘Green’ Commercial Property Market. Since the UK Government’s demand for sustainability and a shift towards achieving carbon neutral status by 2050, the commercial property market will undoubtedly see significant changes over the next decade. Emma White, commercial property paralegal at HRJ Foreman Laws solicitors...
If you are entering into a lease for a commercial premises, it is important to understand what your responsibilities will be if you want, or need, to assign the remaining term of the lease in future, says Orlagh Willis, commercial property paralegal at HRJ Foreman...
We have previously discussed the effect of the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 on lease extensions after 30 June 2022 (being the date that the act came into force). This limited the ground rent to a peppercorn for all leases granted after that date...
If you own or are buying a property with a rentcharge, it is important to understand the implications, says Nick Davies, commercial property solicitor at HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors. What is a rentcharge? A Rentcharge relates to freehold property and should not be confused with ground...
Read on to find out more about The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022.
If you are looking to take a commercial property lease or if you are looking to buy a commercial freehold, then negotiating the sale contract or the terms of the lease is an important part of the process. But there are other aspects of a commercial property lease that you should know about before you sign. Andrew Dongworth, company and commercial solicitor at HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors, Welwyn Garden City office talks about three important areas to consider.
At the end of March 2021, the Housing Secretary announced changes to permitted development rules in England. These changes, effective from 1st August 2021, allow the conversion of certain commercial properties to residential use without requiring full planning permission, subject to prior approval and specific...
The government wants private housebuilders, housing associations and councils to increase annual construction to 300,000 a year by 2025. Nicholas Davies, Partner and Commercial Property Solicitor at HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors, looks at the latest statistics and highlights some key considerations for landowners and developers....
Over the last year many businesses have not been trading because of the lockdowns. This has inevitably caused significant disruption to business revenue. During this period, the Government has implemented several measures including: the prevention of landlords of commercial properties from being able to evict...
As we reach the end of the financial year, you’ll have a good idea of your business goals to March 2022. Are you ready to achieve them, or do some areas still need a bit of a spring clean? Read our top legal tips to...
What gift could you give to your business this valentine’s day? What about a legal health check, protection against legal risk and being ready for the future? Read our top 5 reasons to love the legal health of your business. To minimise legal risks As...
Whether your business year starts now, or you are in your final quarter of your financial business year, you will have a good idea of what direction you want to take your business in 2021. What does the future have in store for you? Whatever...
Landlords, what are your options when a tenant is in rent arrears? One of the most stressful challenges for a commercial landlord is dealing with a tenant who has stopped paying rent. Unpaid invoices directly impact your cash flow and profitability, and you need to...
The Commercial Property team at HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors were appointed by Croud Inc Limited on the lease of over 5,000 sq ft of office space at the newly redeveloped Trinity, 39 Tabernacle Street, London. HRJ Foreman Laws worked alongside Croud’s property agents, Kontor. The...
With economic pressures affecting businesses across the UK, keeping up with commercial rent payments can be a significant challenge. If your cash flow is tight and you are facing potential arrears, it is vital to act quickly. The temporary protections that existed during the pandemic...
As confusion over Brexit continues, we’re meeting many property developers and landowners who are concerned about what it could mean to the value of land and its development costs. Development prices are generally valued in reverse – what will the development sell for? Less what...
Continued pressure on housing means garden developments are becoming increasingly common. However, before you start the work there are some key legal issues you’ll need to consider. Planning vs legal rights Some people believe planning permission gives them the green light, but remember the land...
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01462 458711
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