Liam Buckley is a partner and European Head of our Real Estate Practice based in Manchester, England. His particular expertise covers commercial property finance; investment and development; property joint ventures; leasing, management and portfolio transactions.

The Real Estate Group comprises teams specialising in Commercial Property, Construction and Project work and Planning and Compulsory Purchase work.

In addition, Liam is a member of our Energy & Natural Resources Group which specialises in serving the legal requirements of the electricity, gas and water industries in the UK and overseas.

Liam is a trustee and founder member of Norfox, the UK property industry charity established to raise funds annually for disabled and/or disadvantaged children.

Liam is listed in The Legal 500 UK and Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom. 

Representative Experience

Property development

• Development aspects of the "Spinningfields" development project for Allied London in Central Manchester. The project involves 2 million+ ft2 of offices plus hotels, shops, restaurants and a new magistrates court and civil justice centre on a 22 acre city centre site.
• Acquisition and development of the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT) Phase 2 at Daventry including the acquisition of the railport to service circa 1.9m ft2 of mainly B8 industrial development on behalf of ProLogis Developments Limited.
• ProLogis Developments Limited - ProLogis Park, Bradford - 1m ft2+ distribution warehouse development for Marks & Spencer Plc.
• Widnes Multi Modal Gateway, the acquisition, letting, development and sale of a 500,000 ft2 chilled distribution centre and inland railport acting on behalf of Stobart Group, the leading UK logistics company.

Investment and Corporate Occupiers

• Acting for Co-operative Group (CWS) Limited in the merger of undertakings with CRS creating a joint entity valued at £4.7 billion (and involving due diligence relating to a portfolio of 800+ properties).
• Acting for Co-operative Group (CWS) Limited on the £135 million acquisition of Alldays Plc involving a portfolio of 800+ properties.
  Regeneration
• Acting for English Partnerships on the development of "New Islington", the Millennium community residential scheme in East Manchester regenerating the Ancoats district.
• Acting for Rochdale Development Agency on the town centre redevelopment of Rochdale with a retail led scheme involving the creation of 350,000 ft2 of new retail space with associated offices and public realm improvements.

Energy & Utilities

• Acting for US based private utilities developer Canatxx Gas Storage Limited on a UK natural gas cavern storage project dealing with all real estate, permitting and environmental issues.
• Power Station Development - advising on the development of a number of UK CCGT power projects for British Energy plc.

Quotes

"Liam Buckley is usually involved in the department's major transactions. A familiar face in the Manchester market", Chambers UK 2008.

"In Liam Buckley it boasts an exceptionally popular practitioner and his presence has enabled the firm to gain roles on major regeneration projects", The Legal 500 UK 2008.

“Liam Buckley is highly rated by clients”, The Legal 500 UK 2010.