Richard Cross

Richard specialises in commercial property work, in particular leasing and asset management work and the acquisition, development and disposal of sites for a number of developer and investment clients.

Richard is an experienced lease negotiator, acting for both landlords and tenants, in particular on a number of high profile shopping centres. Richard is also part of the team developing DAC Beachcroft’s shopping centre strategy, as well as being a member of the firm’s real estate precedents committee and a key contact within the firm’s diversity (LGBT+) network group.

Richard has worked on a number of high value developments and lettings over the years and has valuable knowledge of both the local (South West / South Wales) and national markets. He often handles complex negotiations of sale/purchase, option and development agreements, as well as agreements for lease on pre-lets. This is both for sole clients and for clients acting together in joint venture.

Richard works for a wide range of clients, both locally and across the country, large and small, buying, developing and leasing a variety of office, retail and warehouse premises. Richard's clients include both corporate internationals (Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and Zurich) and regional developers (Robert Hitchins and Canynge Bicknell).

Relevant experience includes advising:

• Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield over the last 15 years on the leasing of stores at its UK shopping centres to many high profile and high value tenants. This included both anchor and experiential lettings as well as more general retail, food and leisure leases and relocations. Richard was also the legal project manager at DAC Beachcroft for the client’s development of its Phase 2 retail extension at Westfield London which opened to the public in 2018.
• Local developers on both site assembly work and sales and acquisitions of land. This includes complex forward funding arrangements and deals involving overage and put and call options, as well as the development and letting of industrial, retail park, hotel and garden centre premises.

In Legal 500 UK 2021, Richard's clients describe him as "extremely thorough and thoroughly reliable. He is a massive benefit to any contract negotiations being both firm but also personable."