
Neil Toner
Consultant Head of Real Estate
Areas of Expertise
Neil is our Head of Real Estate, one of the largest teams in the firm. Neil acts on the full range of issues that arise on property acquisition, development, disposal and beyond. He works with clients on overall property and development strategy as well as leading on specific transactions: from initial heads of terms discussions, through project delivery to property portfolio management. That takes in issues including JV structuring, planning, rights to light and other complex title problems, long term environmental and ecological liabilities, development agreements, overage, commercial lease disposals and grant funding. Negotiating and drafting provisions around financial viability are a particular specialism, in relation to which Neil draws on his economics and maths backgrounds.
Over the last thirty years Neil has worked with a range of clients, in both England and Wales, including Registered Providers (such as L&Q, Southern and Cadwyn), private developers (such as Bouygues, Mulalley and Pocket), Local Authorities (such as Woking, Havering and Sutton), Local Authority Vehicles (such as Sutton Living, Populo and Sixty Bricks) Academy Schools (such as Ark and Future), utility companies (such as EDF and UKPN) and commercial end users (such as Agilent Technologies and OMX).
Experience
Prior to joining Devonshires Solicitors as our Head of Real Estate, Neil was with Lewis Silkin LLP, having joined them as a trainee in 1989 and worked his way up to partner and Deputy Head of their Real Estate & Development Department.
Publications
In the last 12 months he has been published in Inside Housing, on modular construction and how social housing can stimulate the economy. Neil produces our IT’S THE LAW publication with editions in the last year covering issues ranging from Community Infrastructure Levy to Meanwhile Uses.
Education
Neil graduated from Essex University with an Economics BA, before completing his CPE and Law Society Finals at the College of Law in Chester.
Personal
Neil was born in California, educated in Oxfordshire and now resides in London. His favourite place on earth (when not at his desk drafting a development agreement) is a toss-up between the bar of the Dylan Hotel, Amsterdam and the Grand Canyon (South Rim).
Professional Membership
Neil leads our sponsorship and partnership with the All Party Parliamentary Group for Regeneration and Development to help in shaping and delivering their programme. The group aims to spread the benefits of regeneration more widely. Neil continues as a member of the Residential Committee of the British Property Federation.
Neil is a member of UKELA (the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association), a member of the Bermondsey Group and former Board member of Future of London. His membership of the British Overseas Airways Corporation Junior Jet Club lapsed when he was 5.
Get in touch
020 7065 1823 |
neil.toner@devonshires.co.uk |
London Office
Devonshires Solicitors LLP 30 Finsbury Circus London EC2M 7DT |
020 7065 1836 |
julie.mcmonagle@devonshires.co.uk |