John Leake
Director
John is in our Real Estate team based in Leeds. His particular expertise is in the development and regeneration field where he acts for developers, the public sector, financiers, occupiers and investors.
- Advising public sector and private sector participants in major regeneration projects – for example Clay Cross town centre regeneration scheme for GMI Rovinian and Wakefield Westgate town centre regeneration scheme for English Cities Fund.
- Advising housebuilders on more complex site acquisitions on schemes across North West England, including acquisitions and funding arrangements with Homes England.
- Acting for tenants on major relocations to purpose-built premises, including advising on the exit from existing lease commitments. Examples include acting for Nice-Pak International Limited in connection with relocation to new production facilities in Wigan and ThinkMoney Group Limited on the acquisition and development of a site in Manchester as an office campus to form a new headquarters complex.
- Advising on large-scale strategic land options and promotion agreements for both developer/promoters and landowners on commercial, residential and mixed-use schemes. Examples include acting for a developer on a 300-acre site at Hoyland in South Yorkshire, and advising landowners on a 70-acre site near Rochdale.
- Acting on the firm’s UK premises requirements, including moves to new premises in Leeds, London and Manchester. This work has generated instructions from other occupiers moving into the same schemes.
- All of the above included advising on transaction structures, including joint ventures, overage agreements and investment structures.
Education
- University of Hull
- College of Law, Guildford, 1982
Admissions
- England and Wales, 1982