Worldwide: Real Estate and Construction

On 1 May 2012, Royal Assent was given to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill. For the first time it will be a criminal offence to squat in a residential property.

You've found a property to rent and you are one step closer to becoming a tenant.

Landlords and Tenants of residential properties have been aware of the need to protect Tenants' deposits within authorised schemes since 2007.

This bulletin aims to highlight key tax issues which may be of importance to real estate funds and investors.

Today's entry is a summary of the regime for authorising major infrastructure projects introduced by the Planning Act 2008 and amended by the Localism Act 2011.

The UK Real Estate Investment Trust ("REIT") regime launched on 1 January 2007, and immediately saw a number of the UK’s largest listed property companies convert to REITs.

A House of Commons Committee Report "Government's vision for farming" published on Friday calls for an extended timetable to implement the changes to Agricultural Property Relief...

We are pleased to announce the promotion of Scott Battram to Partner in our Residential Property department.

As inheritance tax rule changes in April 2025 drive business owners to sell or restructure, buyers must navigate compressed timelines carefully. Key risks include insufficient due diligence, inadequate legal protections, valuation missteps, integration challenges, and tax/regulatory oversights. A methodical approach to these areas ensures the buyer maximizes value and mitigates risks in a dynamic market.

Part 31 of the Civil Procedure Rules concerns the disclosure and inspection of documents in civil litigation. In summary, a party discloses a document by stating that the document exists or has existed. A party to whom a document has been disclosed has a right to inspect that document except where, amongst other things, the party disclosing the document has a right or a duty to withhold inspection of it.

A judgment delivered on 23 April 2012 stated that in a Settlement Agreement, inclusion of the phrase "full and final settlement in respect of any and all outstanding matters" was, on the facts, sufficient to exclude liability for defects.

In the case of R and C Electrical Engineers Ltd v Shaylor Construction Ltd, [2012] EWHC 1254 (TCC), R&C sought Part 8 declaratory relief in relation to an adjudicator’s decision. Whilst the application was declined, the adjudicator’s decision was upheld as binding until such time as the dispute was finally resolved by litigation or arbitration.