Business Legal Services

Construction & Development Finance

Service overview: Construction and development finance solicitors

  • Construction finance is the provision of finance to build or develop property or other construction.
  • A development finance transaction will typically include more comprehensive security than a real estate investment and will require more time negotiating security agreements.
  • Development finance loans may involve a single lender or several lenders, although syndicated (multiple lender) loans are more common.
  • Lenders will expect to take security over key development documents and a lender will want to be able to assign the rights under the contract.
  • A key concept in development finance is practical completion – determining when the major work has been completed.

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What we do: Construction finance solicitors

Our finance solicitors have considerable experience in advising on commercial property, development and construction finance.

We also understand the importance of making sure your property elements, including any development, are handled correctly and with a commercial mind to guarantee that they run smoothly alongside the financial elements of a transaction.

Our construction and development finance lawyers can assist you with your requirements and walk you through these processes to guarantee a smooth transaction. Some of the typical documents, agreements and services we would help your business with include:

  • debentures (including mortgages, fixed and floating charges)
  • contractual rights
  • charges over bank deposits
  • intellectual property
  • insurance policies
  • plant and machinery
  • guarantees
  • collateral warranties

A key consideration is to ensure that the building contract is clear on when practical completion has occurred. Practical completion marks the beginning of the defects liability period and will trigger the final account process in JCT contracts. Disputes as to whether practical completion has been achieved are common and all parties should ensure they are properly protected.

Our finance solicitors will also work closely with our corporate, construction law, dispute resolution and tax teams to cover all aspects of your deal, so legal work is seamless for your entire transaction.

Who we help

We regularly give expert legal advice on construction and development finance throughout all stages of a transaction to a wide range of clients, including:

  • builders
  • lenders
  • architects
  • contractors
  • investors
  • finance companies and business development companies

This expert advice includes our considerable experience in advising on credit and facility documents, preparation and negotiation of inter-creditor deeds and the structuring of deals.


Testimonials

What our clients say

The team provide great support throughout the funding process, providing straightforward and clear guidance on the issues to be addressed at each stage. The team was always at hand to make sure that that we understood what needed to be done to reach a successful outcome.
Chris Evans CEO, Kobus Services
They adopted a proactive approach to overcoming issues, and their knowledge of the sector and investors and preparedness to identify novel solutions has proved extremely beneficial.
Charles Smith Director, Interpac Limited
Harper James swiftly solves problems with a minimum of fuss. I strongly recommend them and they are a pleasure to work with.
Jean de Fougerolles CEO, Ascension Ventures
The Corporate Finance and Property team at Harper James are always responsive and take a pragmatic approach when needed.
Leon Foxwell Lending Director, Bloomsbury Property Finance Limited
The team provide great support throughout the funding process, providing straightforward and clear guidance on the issues to be addressed at each stage. The team was always at hand to make sure that that we understood what needed to be done to reach a successful outcome.
Chris Evans CEO, Kobus Services
They adopted a proactive approach to overcoming issues, and their knowledge of the sector and investors and preparedness to identify novel solutions has proved extremely beneficial.
Charles Smith Director, Interpac Limited
Harper James swiftly solves problems with a minimum of fuss. I strongly recommend them and they are a pleasure to work with.
Jean de Fougerolles CEO, Ascension Ventures
The Corporate Finance and Property team at Harper James are always responsive and take a pragmatic approach when needed.
Leon Foxwell Lending Director, Bloomsbury Property Finance Limited

Why choose our financial solicitors?

Our construction and development finance solicitors have all been recruited from top 100 UK law firms or from large international businesses. They each have more than 10 years post-qualifying experience. Find out more about our finance solicitors here:


Pricing and service plans

Legal support designed
to fit your business needs

Our three transparent service plans are designed to give you the widest possible access to high-quality legal advice, whatever the size and nature of your business:

Engage

Flexible access to senior solicitors at highly competitive rates

An alternative to our subscription plans, offering access to full service legal expertise on a project-by-project basis.

Extend

Comprehensive legal partnership for established businesses

Fully account managed and scalable annual subscription plan with support from a curated team of partners and senior solicitors, with up to 34% discount on our Standard Rates.



What next?

Please leave us your details and we’ll contact you to discuss your situation and legal requirements. There’s no charge for your initial consultation, and no-obligation to instruct us. We aim to respond to all messages received within 24 hours.

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Our offices

A national law firm

A national law firm

Our commercial lawyers are based in or close to major cities across the UK, providing expert legal advice to clients both locally and nationally.

We mainly work remotely, so we can work with you wherever you are. But we can arrange face-to-face meeting at our offices or a location of your choosing.

Head Office

Floor 5, Cavendish House, 39-41 Waterloo Street, Birmingham, B2 5PP
Regional Spaces

Capital Tower Business Centre, 3rd Floor, Capital Tower, Greyfriars Road, Cardiff, CF10 3AG
Stirling House, Cambridge Innovation Park, Denny End Road, Waterbeach, Cambridge, CB25 9QE
13th Floor, Piccadilly Plaza, Manchester, M1 4BT
10 Fitzroy Square, London, W1T 5HP
Harwell Innovation Centre, 173 Curie Avenue, Harwell, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QG
1st Floor, Dearing House, 1 Young St, Sheffield, S1 4UP
White Building Studios, 1-4 Cumberland Place, Southampton, SO15 2NP
A national law firm

To access legal support from just £145 per hour arrange your no-obligation initial consultation to discuss your business requirements.

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