- Managing Director: Madeleine F Davitt
- Chief Executive : Peter Allinson
- Number of directors: 2
- Senior Associate Solicitors: 21
- Other fee-earners: 6
THE FIRM Davitt Jones Bould (DJB) is a specialist practice solely focussed on providing Commercial Property and Planning legal services to a nationwide client base. The firm, one of the largest specialist real estate firms in the country, has over 25 lawyers with an average Post Qualification Experience (PQE) exceeding 20 years. DJB is based in Taunton with offices in London, Birmingham and Manchester serving clients throughout the country. The firm’s expertise covers all areas of Commercial Property and Planning, handling a diverse range of projects including government privatisations, estates rationalisation exercises, town centre regeneration schemes, and major highways and infrastructure developments. More routine transactions are also dealt with by the firm whether acting for the client directly or in support of a full service law firm. DJB was established in 1999 by a team of senior lawyers who had previously worked within central government for the Government Property Lawyers, an executive agency of the Treasury Solicitors. Since foundation, DJB has expanded its team and coverage of the property sector following notable lateral hires. In consequence the firm now advises a wide range of clients in both the private and public sectors. The firm acts for numerous public sector clients including central government bodies, NHS organisations and local authorities. Clients of the firm include the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, The Royal Parks, HM Revenue and Customs, Natural England, Surrey County Council, Bedford Borough Council and North Somerset District Council. DJB is approved to supply many panels including the Surrey Authorities Framework, ACSeS (Southern Branch), the Consortium of London and Kent Councils and the North West Legal Consortium. In total, the firm is represented on panels covering over 50% of the local authorities in England. The firm also holds places on three NHS specialist panels serving over 150 NHS trusts across London, the Midlands and the North West. Additionally DJB is one of only seven firms on the Government Procurement Service (formerly Buying Solutions) Property and Estates panel making the firm an accredited supplier available to any public sector organisation in the UK. Through its Lawyers Assured programme, DJB also provides further support to clients by placing its lawyers in-house on secondment.
PRINCIPAL AREAS OF WORK Acting for a diverse range of property professionals and in-house legal teams, DJB handles a wide range of projects dealing with all legal aspects that arise:
Commercial Property: DJB act on the full range of commercial property work, from small to large-scale acquisitions and disposals, landlord and tenant matters and property management, through to major developments and PPP schemes. Additionally, the firm offers high quality technical legal advice on all matters involving commercial property and is used to dealing with transactions of a most complex and sensitive nature. DJB has particular experience in dealing with transactions involving overage and clawback, not only in the drafting and working of such provisions but also in their enforcement. The firm has been instrumental in drafting the standard clawback clause used by public sector departments including the Ministry of Defence. Public aspects of property law and Crown ownership of land are specialisms, as well as the Crichel Down Rules applying to Public Sector land.
Planning & Regeneration: DJB’s Planning Team has a broad experience of all aspects of planning and environmental law acting for Local Authorities on a range of regeneration, highways projects and other planning and CPO matters. The firm also acts for landowners and joint ventures on all manner of development schemes.
Property Litigation: Davitt Jones Bould deals with all aspects of litigation involving commercial property.
Areas of PracticeCommercial Property (including Planning, Environmental Law & Litigation): 100%