William Beckett
Partner
Corporate & Commercial | Real Estate
A solicitor since
1988, William brings more than
35 years of comprehensive experience in property and corporate law. His career includes work at prominent firms across Leeds, Manchester, and Oxford, co-founding a successful practice in 2010, and his current role as a Consultant Solicitor (since 2023).

about
William's core strength is commercial lease work, primarily for the retail and leisure industries, where he has advised major chains and lectured extensively on the subject. His background leading a Corporate Property Support team broadened his practice to include corporate transactions (sales, acquisitions, and mergers) with a property focus, alongside security work for developers, investors, lenders, and borrowers.
Client satisfaction is central to his approach. William begins every project by
strategically planning the route to the client's objective, actively managing the process, and ensuring continuous communication so expectations are consistently met. He is adept at working under pressure to resolve complexities and meet tight deadlines.
Recent Matters
my work
William's experience showcases a broad range of complex property and corporate transactions. He advised on the acquisition of a children's day care business by a pension fund, utilizing a combination of share purchase and a sale-and-leaseback arrangement. His expertise includes managing challenging title, overage, and covenant issues during the sale of a public house business.
He acted on the purchase of a regional shopping parade featuring nationally known "anchor" tenants. In corporate-property matters, he advised on the sale of serviced offices via a sale of the client's issued share capital, and managed a prolonged sale of a restaurant business where an overseas landlord imposed complex conditions for consent to assign based on the buyer's status. He successfully worked on the sale of parts of a building set to different purchasers, involving refinancing via bridging finance and coordinating the completion of sales and the release of covenants by the local authority. For an established client, he acted on the sale of 10 flats by granting 999-year leases on a single repurposed building, which included developing the necessary sales pack for a smooth conveyancing process.
Additionally, he has advised numerous clients on commercial lease renewals utilizing the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 to secure optimal terms. Over a five-year period, he assisted a major travel company with various office moves, and for a "night life" client, he handled a series of site acquisitions and disposals spanning over 10 years.
Interest
about me
Outside of his professional life, William enjoys
travelling and exploring new cultures and is an
avid reader of history, political and economic studies.
Awards & Experience
my expertise
William is a highly experienced solicitor, qualifying in 1988 after achieving his
LLB (Honours) from Queen's University of Belfast and becoming a
Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales.

