Commercial Property
Whether you’re leasing your first commercial space or managing a large portfolio of sites, commercial property is often one of the most significant financial commitments your business will make.
Our Commercial Property Team provides pragmatic and results-driven advice to clients across Norfolk, East Anglia, and UK wide, as well as offshore investors, helping them to make informed decisions to achieve their commercial property goals. We represent a diverse range of sectors supporting commercial landlords & tenants, sellers, buyers, funders, developers, and investors in all areas of commercial property law.
Our commercial property lawyers tailor their services on every transaction to achieve a positive outcome in line with our clients goals. We specialise in negotiating, advising on and drafting property agreements for businesses.
Understanding any potential risks or liabilities and negotiating preferable terms can be challenging; our team is here to guide you every step of the way. We also have niche expertise in insolvency-related property work, healthcare, franchising, post offices, and the licensed trade.
Some of the services offered by the team include:
Acquisitions and Disposals
Purchasing or selling commercial property can be a complex process, the team work with their clients on all types of freehold & leasehold acquisitions and disposals and portfolio acquisitions & disposals taking care of all of the legal and regulatory elements involved in the transaction.
Leases
We support landlords and tenants with the assignment and termination of commercial property leases, as well as renewals, subleases, and dilapidation claims.
Residential & Commercial Development
We work with land owners, developers, builders and property management companies on the development of land for anything from small scale residential developments to large scale commercial property and mixed-use developments.
E-Commerce and E-Marketplace Terms and Agreements
Agricultural Property
We have a dedicated team able to assist specifically with all manner of agricultural property matters including acquisitions and disposals, tenancies, rights of way, option agreements and disputes. They understand the challenges faced in the agricultural sector, and work with you to achieve your property objectives.
Our Commercial Property Team also collaborates with other property specialists across the firm to provide comprehensive legal support to their clients.
Planning
Our team offers clear and practical planning advice and will deal with the relevant authorities on your behalf to achieve results that protect your business and enhance the value of your property. We can provide advice and assistance with the following matters such as rights of way, planning applications and appeals, enforcement of rights, environmental compliance and prosecutions, agricultural restriction & certificates of established use in connection with breaches of planning permissions.
Corporate Support
Alongside our property services, our Corporate Team can assist with business structure, funding, and governance, ensuring that your commercial property transactions align with your broader business strategy. Whether you are restructuring your company, seeking finance, or considering mergers and acquisitions, our corporate law expertise will help you navigate these challenges with confidence.
Commercial Property Disputes
In addition to our transactional services, our Property Disputes Team offers expert advice on a wide range of commercial property disputes including dilapidations, lease renewals, rent arrears, forfeiture, rights of way, boundary disputes, easements, restrictive covenants, assured shorthold tenancies, assured tenancies, adverse possession, trespass, Rent Act claims, landlord and tenant disputes and possession proceedings. For more information, contact our Property Disputes Team.
Get in Touch
What our clients say
Sally Challinor and the rest of the team at Leathes Priors have been carrying out some very challenging legal work on a variety of projects for us. She has managed to guide us through and overcome the inevitable difficulties and frustrations. She has done this calmly and professionally. It has been a pleasure to work with her and the rest of the team.
It’s been a pleasure working with you both and others at Leathes Prior over the years, your wealth of expertise and excellent service has been greatly appreciated.
Just wanted to say another HUGE thank you for all your amazing help and amazing hard work in helping us with the licence. I can’t thank you all enough. Thank you so much. I’m so grateful.
I just wanted to thank you for your help. Leathes Prior have been instrumental with guidance and advice in drawing up a lease. You have really made a difference to a small local organisation trying to do some good in the community. Thank you again!
I really do feel like the team at Leathes Prior would be able to help in any situation. They understand the time pressures of companies and provide no-nonsense commercial advice.
We always use Leathes Prior for conveyancing, and now for commercial leasing and business licensing. We always receive an all round brilliant experience- with efficient communication, and a calm, thorough person at the end of the phone. Special thanks to Lily Beel and Kate Wheeler.
Highly recommend Rebecca at Leathes Prior. She was very helpful and professional but also friendly and approachable. Thank you again for all of your help and advice!
Working with Leathes Prior is an absolute joy. They are small enough to deliver personal service but large enough to have a team of lawyers with experience and well connected enough to help us network around the business community.
Rebecca Millard has been of huge help to us throughout our short careers as commercial property landlords (Dahoof Lettings Ltd). Always extremely professional and highly personable, for such a busy solicitor she is always very accessible and takes the time to explain and clarify complex matters brilliantly. Her comms are regular and highly informative and I cannot imagine how we could have navigated the choppy waters of our recent commercial mortgage application without her excellent support and advice. Where we have valued Rebecca especially is where she has used her judgement to ‘cut through’ a particular issue and move things along! Thank you Rebecca and look forward to working with you again in the near future.
I’m writing to convey my deep appreciation for the exceptional work Sally Challinor provided recently. I cannot praise her professionalism highly enough. I’ve used commercial solicitors before but the moment I first consulted with Sally it was clear she operates head and shoulders above them all. She has a sixth sense about what her clients need - offering crystal clear communication, expert knowledge and unparalleled attention to detail. Mine was a particularly complex case which required constant negotiating and revision right up to the last minute. But Sally handled it with ease - nimbly coming up with solid solutions every time we hit a snag. Clearly Sally cares about her clients and I can confidently say such a personal service is worth its weight in gold.
For several years now, Lucy has overseen a range of major commercial property matters for us, including complex lease work and wider transactional support. Her attention to detail, responsiveness, and steady guidance have made a real difference to our business. Lucy is approachable, reassuring, and someone we trust completely. We genuinely value the relationship and continue to rely on her for all significant property work.
I have been using Leathes Prior for many years and their professionalism and the quality of their service has never disappointed. They have assisted me with numerous commercial and personal matters, and at every stage, I was always aware of the situation and the next course of action. Most recently, Sally, Rachel and the team completed a lease renewal on a commercial property, and despite some challenges from the outside world, this was delivered on time and within budget. I cannot recommend them highly enough.
Autumn Budget 2025: Agricultural Property Relief & Business Property Relief Changes
It was announced in the 2025 Budget that from 6 April 2026, changes will be made to agricultural property relief and business property relief. These changes bring APR and BPR in line with the nil-rate band rules, meaning unused allowances can be transferred to a surviving spouse or civil partner. This is a significant step towards making estate planning easier for families who own farms or businesses.
The Employment Rights Act 2025 is expected to come into force tomorrow (18 December 2025)
After an extended period of back-and-forth amendments between Parliament and the House of Lords, on 16 December 2025, the ERB finally received approval from the House of Lords, with the formality of Royal Assent due to take place tomorrow (18 December 2025). Head of LP Employment, Dan Chapman, explains...
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Charity of the Month: The Matthew Project
Leathes Prior is delighted to be supporting The Matthew Project as our Charity of the Month for December 2025. The Matthew Project supports young people and adults across Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex to overcome issues around drugs, alcohol, and mental health, empowering them to rebuild confidence and lead fulfilling lives.
Leathes Prior’s Milan Pandit appointed President of the Norfolk & Norwich Law Society
Leathes Prior Solicitors is proud to announce that Milan Pandit, Solicitor in our Corporate & Commercial Team, has been appointed President of the Norfolk & Norwich Law Society (NNLS) for 2025/26.
Commercial Lease Renewals: A guide for Landlords & Tenants
Commercial lease renewals are a topic that every commercial landlord and business that rents commercial premises should have at the forefront of their minds. It is essential for good succession planning, though it is often neglected until the expiry of an existing lease term is looming or once the existing term has come to an end and the tenant is holding over. In this article, our newly qualified solicitor, Maggie Berry explores the process that landlords and tenants can expect when navigating this complex area of law.
Our Guidance, Your Legacy: What is a Will, and why should I make one?
Not only is a Will one of the most important steps you can take to protect your loved ones and ensure your wishes are respected, but it also limits the likelihood of a claim/dispute following your death. To ensure your loved ones and the causes you care about benefit from your estate, a Will is essential to ensuring this happens. Find out more in this article.
Lease extensions: The essentials to getting started
Extending your lease can seem complex, but taking the right steps early can make the process much smoother. Jake Mowatt, Associate and Harry Smith, Trainee Solicitor in our Residential Property Team outlines the key essentials every leaseholder should understand prior to extending their lease.
Upcoming changes to bringing employment law claims: What these mean for you
The highly anticipated Employment Rights Bill (ERB) is set to increase the time limits in which employees can bring an employment tribunal claim. Gareth Stevens & Rose Woolterton explain what this means for employers & employees.
Service Charges in Residential Leases: FAQs
Service charges are forever a hot topic in the world of property disputes, and it remains one of the most contentious areas between freeholders and leaseholders, particularly in long residential leases. Danny Turpin, Associate, discusses frequently asked questions regarding service charges on long residential leases.
Leathes Prior winners in nine categories in the prestigious Legal 500 Future Laywer Survey
We are thrilled to announce that the firm has placed once again in the Legal 500 Future Lawyer survey as No.1 in the UK for our Social Life; a ranking we have held in the survey for seven years out of the past nine years.
Jess’s Rule – New Guidelines for GPs
A new initiative is being rolled out across GP practices across England in the hope of preventing serious illnesses being missed by GPs where patients present with the same, or deteriorating, symptoms on multiple occasions. Kimberley Nelson in our Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence Team discusses new guidelines for GPs.
Leathes Prior are excited to announce that four Trainee Solicitors qualify at the firm
Leathes Prior is excited to announce that four of our amazing trainees, Eleanor Chapman, Maggie Berry, Alex Robinson, and Georgia Sartin, have successfully completed their training contracts and are now qualifying as Solicitors at the firm.
