Jonathan Ely

I handle all kinds of commercial property transactions and I advise on a wide range of legal issues facing our commercial property and developer clients. Drawing on more than 10 years experience, I handle real estate acquisitions, disposals, lettings and management, and advise leaders in a wide variety of sectors in connection with their business space requirements, handling everything from negotiating the legal documentation to advising on due diligence related issues.

One of my main focuses is in handling and advising on development, regeneration and rationalisation projects including acting for developers, investors and third sector clients. As real estate lead in our Schools & Academies team, I also advise education sector clients in relation to the establishment of academies and free schools and on other projects relating to school sites and premises.

I offer practical legal advice on a range of environmental issues, as a member of the UK Environmental Lawyers Association.

I also run the Registered Providers’ Commercial Property Forum for commercial property professionals in the RP sector.

More about Real Estate

One of the main focuses of my practice is in handling and advising on development, regeneration and rationalisation projects including acting for developers, investors and social housing and other registered providers, working to deliver successful projects as part of the real estate development team.  My clients include those in the public, private and third sectors – with projects ranging from office blocks, mixed use developments, schools and healthcare schemes.

Recent work includes a landmark mixed use scheme in Lambeth.

My practice also covers environmental law, as a member of the UK Environmental Lawyers Association and I advise all manner of clients on environmental issues from brownfield regeneration and remediation to environmental protection and making the best of new environmental initiatives, such as feed-in tariffs, and other innovations.

I have a particular specialism in handling complex development projects as real estate lead in our Schools & Academies team. I have handled a wide variety of schemes for Academy sponsors and free schools.

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I lead our environment team in providing advice in relation to all elements of environmental law, from advising on how to best deal with the potentially painful matter of environmental liabilities to helping clients capitalise on environmental improvement initiatives, as well as providing strategic advice.

I have worked for both potentially contaminating businesses - assessing statutory requirements, compliance and risk issues - and also for property developers acquiring potentially contaminated land for redevelopment. I advise all manner of clients on environmental issues including in relation to real estate development and brownfield regeneration and remediation, land contamination, green leases, environmental protection, environmental impact assessments and all aspects of environmental and related planning law.

I also advise on new initiatives such as the carbon reduction commitment energy efficiency scheme and feed-in tariffs, one of the key focuses being to help a broad range of clients make the best of new environmental developments, schemes and innovation.

I am a member of the UK Environmental Law Association

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I lead our dental sector property team, which handles the lion’s share of all property related instructions from Europe’s largest dental corporate, with whom I have worked for over 10 years. We have a real understanding of the real estate requirements of the healthcare sector. The team handles all manner of real estate related work - from the property aspects of practice acquisitions and disposal to discrete property related purchases, sales, lettings and asset management matters.

I also advise on strategic matters, including working with clients to produce standardised property documents and protocols for use in practice acquisitions, lettings and management. The team works with clients to establish measures to help streamline practice acquisition and management processes, and to keep up to date with relevant law and practice specific to the sector.

One of the main focuses of my practice is in handling and advising on development and rationalisation projects across a broad range of business and other sectors.

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As real estate lead in our Schools & Academies Team, I bring extensive experience of acting for landlords and tenants across a broad range of matters. I have worked with our academy sponsor and local authority clients on a wide variety of schools related property transactions and schemes across the country.

Projects include the establishing of new academies and free schools, academy conversions and development projects, including multi-party and complex schemes. I am very familiar with the documentation produced by the Department for Education and the issues to look out for and address during the course of a project. I have a particular specialism in establishing academies in PFI school premises.

My focus is always on rationalising processes to ensure that projects are brought in on time and within reduced budgets. My development and projects experience means that I am is able to identify issues at an early stage, focus on the practical risks and innovate straightforward strategies to help clients achieve their objectives.

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