Thirteen law firms competed for Legal Team of the Year at the Property Week RESI Awards last month. Only one emerged as what judges called a “clear winner.”
Freeths claimed the honour for its Housebuilding & Strategic Land practice.
The result crowned the UK’s largest and most prestigious awards ceremony for residential development, where legal teams from across the sector had submitted entries detailing their work on housing projects. Judges singled out Freeths with a “standout, best-in-category submission demonstrating exceptional innovation, strong collaboration-led development and significant growth.”
That language matters. Award categories typically name winners without such emphatic endorsement.
The team advises housebuilders, developers and land promoters navigating planning disputes, site acquisitions and development agreements—the legal architecture that determines whether new estates get built or stall in committee rooms. Patrick Adie leads the practice as partner and national head.
“We’re delighted to be recognised as Legal Team of the Year at the RESI Awards,” Adie said. “To be singled out as a clear winner in such a strong field is a real testament to the strength and depth of our team and the amazing efforts of our people.”
He added: “This award reflects the trust our clients place in us to support some of the most complex and important residential projects across the UK. We’re proud to work alongside them in delivering new homes and shaping communities, and to do so in a way that is forward-thinking and genuinely collaborative.”
The residential development legal market has grown increasingly competitive as housebuilders contend with planning reforms, infrastructure obligations and local opposition. Firms compete not just on technical ability but on speed—delays of weeks can cost developers millions in holding costs and financing.
Freeths sits within the UK’s top 50 commercial law firms by revenue. Its client roster spans Centrica, ENGIE, Aldi, Mercedes-Benz UK, Tarmac, Experian and Lloyds Bank. The firm gained broader public recognition for its High Court victory representing 555 sub-postmasters in their case against the Post Office, widely regarded as one of Britain’s most serious miscarriages of justice. Freeths continues to advise on compensation schemes stemming from that litigation.
The firm holds B Corporation certification, a designation requiring verified social and environmental performance standards. In the legal sector, where such certifications remain relatively uncommon, it signals a commitment beyond billable hours. Stonewall named Freeths a Diversity Champion, whilst Investors in People awarded Gold accreditation in 2025. The same year brought Tommy’s Champion status and a place in Working Families’ Top 30 Employers list.
Freeths also appears in the Legal 500 Green Guide 2026 for sustainability leadership.
Beyond the RESI recognition, the firm collected Law Firm of the Year honours at both the City AM Awards 2025 and Legal Business Awards 2024. That pair of wins bookended a 12-month period during which the firm expanded its residential development practice headcount, though specific growth figures weren’t disclosed.
The RESI Awards draw entries from developers, investors, architects and professional services firms across the residential property sector. Legal Team of the Year represents one of the most contested categories, given the number of national and international firms active in UK housing development.
For Freeths, the win validates a strategy built around collaboration with clients rather than a purely transactional advisory model—an approach Adie emphasised in his comments about working “alongside” developers. In practice, that means solicitors embedded in project teams from site identification through to completion, rather than operating at arm’s length.
Whether that model proves scalable as the firm grows remains an open question. But for now, the judges have delivered their verdict.
