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Our people
Martin Smith
Profile:
Martin is Head of Strategic Land at Maples Teesdale with extensive experience in strategic land projects including collaboration, option, promotion and development agreements. He acts for landowners, promoters, and developers on residential, mixed use, and industrial/distribution development projects as well as commercial real estate acquisition, letting, management and disposals.
Professional experience:
- Acting for landowners and developers on the assembly, promotion planning, development and sale of mixed use and employment schemes
- Acting for greenfield development specialists on projects across the south east including the acquisition and promotion of freehold sites, planning promotion agreements and land options
- Advising a range of family trusts and high net worth individuals on strategic land projects, including entry into collaboration agreements, and appointment of promoters and development partners on projects ranging from 150 to 5,000 + units
- Acting on various phased sale disposals of residential sites of between 500 and 3500 units
- Advising a consortium of over 20 landowners on the promotion and development of new garden village in Essex
- Acting for national logistics and distribution businesses on site acquisition and disposal, estate management and new build development projects
- Advising a landowner on a development agreement with a national industrial developer for a large new logistics site on the M1
- Acted for a parcel distribution operator on the acquisition and onward phased disposal of a large distribution site near Coventry
Professional history:
- Trained and Qualified at Gouldens (now Jones Day) 1990 –1997
- Solicitor, Cameron Mckenna CMS, 1997 – 1999
- Partner, Wildes, 1999 – 2001
- Partner, FSI (now Howard Kennedy) and Hewitsons before joining Maples Teesdale in 2017
Awards & recognition
- Recognised as one of the Best Lawyers in UK Real Estate law
- ‘Martin Smith is a first-class real estate solicitor and exceptionally experienced in all aspects of strategic and development land.’ Legal 500 2024
- "Martin Smith is exceptional for his ability to negotiate a deal and make it work rather than bog it down in legal complexity. Provides actual advice rather than disclaimers." Legal 500 2023
- “Maples Teesdale‘s personable, knowledgeable and clear’ team offer advice on the full spectrum of matters relating to development, strategic land and regeneration projects.” Chambers 2023