Ashley Mitchell

I'm a partner in the Residential Development practice, specialising in instant land acquisitions and disposals to strategic options, land assembly and collaboration agreements. I act for a number of the top ten housebuilders. I also head up our plot sales operation.

Tel: +44 (0)121 685 2807

Email: ashley_mitchell@wragge.com

Best brains in...

Land acquisitions and disposals, structuring deals in a pragmatic way which achieves both parties' objectives and protects their interests. This can be particularly important for serviced sites and overage arrangements; option agreements, both standalone and equalised; collaboration and promotion agreements for residential and mixed-use development, and associated land assembly advice.

Highlight of your career so far?

Consolidation of the house-building industry has been a theme over the last few years. The highlight for me was co-ordinating the property due diligence for Miller Homes in its £264m acquisition of Fairclough Homes. This was a mammoth task for our team and one which went right to the wire, with information being disclosed right until the last minute.

Most challenging job you've ever done?

One of the most tortuous deal negotiations I have been involved in was when I acted for a top-three housebuilder in its acquisition of a former hospital site by way of a building licence from English Partnerships. This formed part of the first phase of the Design For Manufacture competition, which imposed compliance with a number of new standards and benchmarks for residential development including prescriptive requirements for £60,000 houses, the use of modern methods of construction and affordable housing. The documentation was effectively ground-breaking in its scope and was the subject of numerous lengthy all-parties meetings. Fortunately my client and I were able to maintain a sense of humour throughout!

What's your definition of great client service?

In my view great client service involves understanding its business and knowing its commercial objectives. There are circumstances where a quick and dirty deal may well be better than a comprehensively technical transaction. Speed and efficiency in identifying and solving potential pitfalls is essential in an increasingly competitive marketplace. The key is knowing your client and the client knowing that you will judge just the right approach for the context.

How do you get under the skin of a client's business?

There is no substitute for talking to everyone within the client's business and demonstrating a real interest, at every level. It is sometimes surprising what you can learn from the receptionist!

What's been written or said about you that you're most proud of?

One of the nicest compliments I received was from a top-three housebuilder client in support of my partnership appointment in 2004. Apart from some embarrassingly gushing comments which I won't share here, the most telling was the statement that 'Ashley has the uncanny ability of making us feel like his only client, even though we know he has many'.