Simon Knott
Partner
Services
Real estate
Sectors
Real estate
Simon leads the firm’s Oxford commercial real estate team and advises on all aspects of English commercial property law. His clients range from major corporates and experienced developers to start-ups and first-time investors.
His practice covers acquisitions, disposals, leasing, and development, with a particular focus on residential and mixed-use schemes. He also has extensive experience in the retail and leisure sectors, supporting clients with fast-paced expansion programmes across the UK. Simon regularly advises tenants and investors relocating to or expanding within Oxford’s business and science parks and he also works closely with several Oxford colleges supporting their diverse property requirements.
I tailor my advice to suit each client’s level of experience and commercial objectives but the manner in which I approach that advice is always the same: “what would I do if I were you”?
Much of his work is development-focused, acting for residential and mixed-use developers acquiring and delivering schemes across the South of England. He frequently advises on planning-led transactions involving overage, layered funding structures, and planning agreements. Simon takes a pragmatic, commercial, and empathetic approach preferring to work with, not against, the other side’s lawyer to achieve a better, faster and less stressful outcome for the client.
Recent work highlights
Real estate support on sale to Starbucks
Climate-positive residential development
Commercial unit scheme
Luxury residential development
External recognition
What people are saying
I could not recommend Simon more highly. Diligent, commercial, astute and professional. Understands what I need as a client and delivers. Makes complicated matters seem simple and has added real value to the company I work for.
Simon Knott is an incredibly personable, friendly, knowledgeable and commercially astute solicitor.
Simon has supported me on numerous projects, some being extremely complex legal property matters. and understands what I need as a client… Simon is a top class professional, always a pleasure to work with and has never failed to deliver!
He is a first class property lawyer who gets the job done, on time and with no fuss. A good communicator and pragmatic problem solver. In my humble opinion the best property lawyer in the South of England.
Simon has the perfect blend of legal expertise and pragmatism and he understands the pressures we face. He is also ‘proactive’ rather than ‘reactive’ which is important to us because speed of transaction is often critical.
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