Freeths

We have advised Vital Energi Utilities Limited on the rollout of its low carbon heat network system, for the Seaham Garden Village development in Durham ?? Vital Energi is responsible for designing, building and the long-term operation of the network. Real Estate partner?Michael Bray led the deal with support from Jackie Heeds, Charles Smith?and Rosie Dickinson. Read the full press release below! ?? https://lnkd.in/eHxXJws8 #Sustainability #LowCarbon #HeatNetwork #RealEstate

Good luck to our team tonight at The Legal 500 Northern Powerhouse Awards in #Manchester! ?? We’ve been shortlisted for: ?? Deal of the Year ?? Innovative Firm of the Year ??Joei Chung for Real Estate Leading Associate of the Year! A big congratulations to all those shortlisted and here’s to a fantastic evening celebrating legal achievements in the North of England! John May, John Flathers, Nick Pryor, Sarah Moore, Natasha Armstrong, Georgia Mitchell, Sarah McGuinness, Simon Pick, Ciaran D. #Legal500Awards #NorthernPowerhouseAwards2025

Thank you to everyone who attended and supported the first NEW event in our Sheffield office yesterday! ?? An insightful talk from Compassionate Cultures, amazing food and great networking led to a successful launch ??? If you’re interested in attending any future women’s networking events please get in touch! ?? https://lnkd.in/ezbpaAid #NEW #NetworkingEventsForWomen

As a Certified B Corporation?, it’s an honour to have been shortlisted for ESG: Law Firm Initiative at the Legal 500 ESG Awards 2025 ?? Not only this, our Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador Shama Gupta has been named within the DE&I: Private Practice Champion category ?? As we continue on our Responsible Business journey, this recognition is testament to our ongoing work driving meaningful change for people and the planet. Congratulations to all finalists! ?? #ESGAwards #Legal500 #DiversityAndInclusion #ResponsibleBusiness

Trafford Council's rejection of a battery storage scheme near Manchester has been overturned after the planning inspectorate ruled the site met the criteria for Labour's grey-belt land designation ??? Planning director Sarah Phillips said the inspector had provided "a really clear and reason decision" setting out why the land had been classed as grey belt in this Property Week article. Read Sarah's full thoughts below! ?? #RealEstateLaw #TraffordDevelopment

Join our insolvency and restructuring team on Tuesday 25 March for a focused training session exploring key corporate insolvency procedures, their implications, and why early advice is vital for businesses, directors, suppliers, creditors, and customers. Some of the key topics to be covered by Director's Caroline Benfield and Elizabeth Taylor include: ?? Voluntary and Compulsory Liquidations ?? Corporate Voluntary Arrangements (CVAs) ?? Key provisions of the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 Register your place here ?? https://lnkd.in/dKjRK4pc #InsolvencyandRestructuring #InsolvencyProcedures #InHouseLawyers #GeneralCounsel

Fantastic to see our National Head of Employment, Pensions & Immigration Rena Magdani featured in Jane Hamilton’s section of The Times mentioning the results of our latest Freeths’ Employment Survey. ?? The link to the full article can be found below: (subscription required) ?? https://lnkd.in/eksy5uQN ? Key insights for HR Directors and Business Leaders from our survey include: ?? Adapting to the new Employment Rights Bill is the top priority for businesses in 2025 ?? Surprisingly, D&I has seen a sharp decline in priority, dropping from 27% of businesses ranking it in their top five priorities in 2024 to just 5% in 2025 ?? Following #InternationalWomensDay on Saturday 8 March, our survey reveals that 60% of UK businesses are yet to implement training to prevent workplace sexual harassment. This is despite the introduction in 2024 of legal obligations on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment at work.? ?? Over half of the businesses surveyed expect UK trading conditions to worsen in the next 12 months ?? Despite advancements in AI technologies, interest in AI for HR purposes is waning. Businesses are more aware of AI tools, but trust in their reliability and usefulness remains low, particularly in recruitment ?? Whistleblowing initiatives have gained traction, with more businesses recognising the long-term value of fostering a transparent and accountable culture ?? The link to the full Employment Survey can be found below ?? https://lnkd.in/epV-P8i3 #HR2025 #EmploymentRightsBill #WorkplaceHarassment #DiversityAndInclusion #ArtificialIntelligence #EmploymentLaw #EmploymentSurvey #SurveyResults #BusinessLeaders #HRDirectors

Real Estate partner Stephen Lewis, alongside a multi office team, are proud to have advised Glenbrook on the high-profile sale and development funding agreement for a ￡152 million residential development in Leeds ??? Glenbrook has agreed the ￡152 million forward funding with property investment firm, Barings, to bring forward the development of the site, which is expected to complete by the end of 2027. Stephen Lewis was supported by Directors Kishen Ravalia and Marie Mulligan, Managing Associate Matthew Turner, Associate Imogen Seabridge and Trainee Molly Happs ?? Take a read of the full story here ?? https://lnkd.in/e8bjQXE2 #DevelopmentFunding #ResidentialDevelopment #PropertyInvestment #RealEstate

Last night, we had the pleasure of hosting our Oxford Initiate event, bringing together young professionals from the region to network and foster meaningful connections ?? It was a fantastic evening catching up with peers and making new introductions. Plenty of networking taking place whilst we all enjoyed the delicious grazing boards of cheese and charcuterie, perfectly paired with superb wine, put together by the wonderful team at Lynrace Popina ???? If you missed this event and would like to join us at our next gathering to experience the vibrant community and networking opportunities, please get in touch with Millie Skinner | [email protected]. #OxfordInitiate #Networking #YoungProfessionals

To celebrate International Women's Day this week, we hosted a breakfast event on Tuesday morning as part of our #NEW (Networking Events for Women) initiative with renowned #Bristol author Jane Duffus as she releases her brand new book - ‘The Women Who Built Bristol: Volume 3’ ?? This popular series explores short?inspiring women and unsung heroines of Bristol throughout history and their fascinating stories that helped to shape Bristol into the vibrant city it is today! ? ? It was a lovely start to a sunny morning with some fantastic business women in the region, a chance to network and celebrate the power of women in the region, all whilst enjoying some delicious breakfast at the Harvey Nichols Restaurant ?? ? Thanks to everyone who joined us - we are looking forward to planning more NEW events for later this year. #InternationalWomensDay #IWD #WomensNetworking #BreakfastNetworkingEvent