Партнер HCR Law рассказал о карьере в недвижимости, проектах в Кембридже и любимых альбомах

The partner and head of development and strategic land at HCR Law on how he got started in property, his favourite album and podcast, the value of family holidays and the superpower he wishes he had. How did you join the property industry? Like most trainee lawyers, I rotated through the various practice areas at the firm where I trained. Property law did not particularly appeal; but during my stint in the property department, something just grabbed my interest and it rolled on from there. The people I came across, the relationships I built and the thrill of negotiating deals through to completion made me realise that this was the area of law I wanted to build my career in. What does your job entail? On the client side, I act for landowners, developers, housebuilders and promoters across the full lifecycle of a development project, often involving some form of collaboration or joint venture arrangements. I also have a broader oversight and management function. I’m responsible for setting the strategic direction of the team, identifying growth opportunities and ensuring we have the right mix of expertise to service our client base. What do you like most about the industry? I love seeing a deal move from a set of negotiated terms on paper into something tangible. No two transactions are ever quite the same, and that variety keeps the work engaging. There is also a tangible community impact to the work, knowing that the deals I help put together translate into real places where people live and work. I also value the relationships I build along the way. And what do you dislike most about it? Simply how long it takes to get things done and, in particular, how long it can take to actually deliver a development from start to finish. There are many factors that can cause delays over the life of a scheme but, from my perspective as a lawyer, red tape, constantly changing legislation and policies and the complexities of the planning system can all make the development process more difficult and cumbersome than it needs to be. What is your favourite building? The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium: a masterpiece of modern architecture thanks to its pioneering multi-use engineering, world-class acoustics and fantastic match-day experience. I may, of course, be slightly biased being (for my sins) a Spurs fan, but it really is a great stadium. If you had not gone into property, what would you be doing? In my fantasy world, where lack of talent is ignored and not seen as problematic, I’d be a professional football player. In the real world, I’d probably still be a lawyer but just working in a different area – possibly a corporate lawyer, given I enjoy being part of transactional work. What would you change about the industry? In terms of the impact on my clients and what they are trying to achieve, I’d have to say the planning system. It has become overly restrictive, bureaucratic and underfunded, with insufficient accountability at some levels of decision-making. The resulting delays and additional costs adversely affect viability and, in turn, the delivery of projects. What are you most proud of in your career? Leading our cross-office team on the recent Cambridge East development transaction for the Hill Group. It’s a large, 700-acre urban extension project that will transform the former Cambridge City Airport site into a new neighbourhood. It was a challenging and time-intensive deal involving numerous stakeholders, but incredibly satisfying to be part of. It was a fantastic opportunity to work on a transaction of that scale and significance in my home city. What advice would you give someone starting a career in the property industry? Work hard for what you want to achieve as nothing is given to you on a plate. There are many fantastic and knowledgeable people in the property world with great experience, so don’t lose the opportunity to tap into that. Top recommendations Favourite album? Changesonebowie by David Bowie. It was the first proper album I remember buying, a compilation album featuring some of his pre-1976 songs. I listened to it incessantly when I first bought it, and every time I hear one of the songs now it takes me back to my youth. Favourite podcast? With the World Cup having dominated much of my recent viewing, I’ve been listening to far more football podcasts than is probably good for me. Stick to Football is my favourite at the moment. I love the mix of sharp insight, light-hearted banter and genuine chemistry between the hosts. Favourite destination? Anywhere I can spend some time away with my wife and daughters. As my daughters are independent now, it is harder to arrange, but we still try to have one trip away together each year, however long or short. If I had to choose one place it would be in Provence, near Avignon, where we spent many happy family holidays back in the day. Superpower to have? Time travel. Sometimes I just need more hours in the day, either to get things done or because I’m enjoying myself. Then there are the days I’d happily fast-forward. Time travel would let me control that balance: slowing things down when life is good or demanding, and speeding things up when I’d rather just move on to what comes next.