50-year association with housebuilder continues

Mar 17 2010 by Peter McCusker, The Journal

A COMPETITIVE tendering process ended with North East law firm Ward Hadaway winning the contract to provide legal services to housebuilder Barratt Developments.

The Newcastle firm has been chosen by Barratt to supply advice on all property-related matters for the housebuilder in the region for three years.

Ward Hadaway fought off competition from other law firms across the country to win the contract, which will see it provide legal advice on a wide range of different areas.

The 16-strong Barratt team at Ward Hadaway contains legal experts in the fields of housebuilding and development and covers areas including property, construction, planning, plot sales and litigation. The appointment continues Ward Hadaway’s long-standing relationship with Barratt.

The firm’s property department has advised the housebuilder in its various guises for more than 50 years.

David Douglass of Ward Hadaway said: “We are naturally delighted that we have been chosen by Barratt Developments to provide their legal advice in the North East for the next three years.

“Barratt is one of the UK’s leading housebuilders so it is excellent news that we will be able to continue our long-standing relationship with the company in the region and helping them to provide new homes for people throughout the North East.

“This appointment is a tribute to the hard work and expertise of the housebuilding team at Ward Hadaway and we look forward to working with our colleagues at Barratt.”

Barratt is expected to build 11,500 homes in the current financial year, making it the biggest housebuilder by volume in Britain.

The company has strong roots in the North East and has plans to expand the number of sites it develops in the region.

Bernard Rooney, managing director of the Barratt North East Division, said: “We have big plans to expand our offering to all sectors of the housing market in the North East, giving them the biggest choice yet of quality homes in a range of locations.

“In order to help us do this, we need high-quality legal support at every stage, from identifying and purchasing suitable sites, through the planning process and to final sales.

“Ward Hadaway fits the bill perfectly for this. The firm’s strength in depth across all areas and pro-active approach to getting the job done means that we have confidence in their ability to handle all our legal issues in the North East.

“We look forward to working with the Ward Hadaway team over the next three years, as we have done for many years previously.”