The Housing Associations’ Legal Alliance includes Advance, BME London, Hexagon, Islington and Shoreditch Housing Association, Newlon Housing Trust, Octavia Housing, Optivo, Origin Housing, Phoenix Community Housing Association, Saxon Weald, Shepherds Bush Housing Association, Wandle, Wellingborough Homes. Between them, there is a spend of approximately 1 600 000 GBP per annum on external solicitors’ services.The Members have come together in a shared procurement exercise and wish to appoint a panel of solicitors upon whose advisory services the individual members can call. The Members will follow the open style procedure.

— banking and finance including the raising of bank funding, capital markets issuance and hedging arrangements,

— charging and security work,

— development draw down funding (including contracts with the HCA/GLA),

— corporate governance,

— new business opportunities,

— acquisitions and disposals,

— joint ventures and subsidiaries,

— amalgamations and restructuring,

— stock transfers,

— employment advice (including TUPE),

— taxation advice,

— pensions,

— charity law,

— industrial and provident society law,

— constitutional reviews,

— board member powers and responsibilities,

— corporate policies and procedures,

— commercial contracts (including Supporting People contracts),

— debt recovery,

— procurement law,

— commercial disputes,

— grant applications e.g. big lottery funding,

— IT and information law including system maintenance and support agreements, defamation and the internet, and intellectual property,

— data protection,

— code of Governance,

— regulations,

— company law,

— miscellaneous advice such as occasional advice on such matters as financial inclusion/general advice to tenants, consumer credit licence issues, health and safety, defamation, fraud, insolvency judicial reviews and public law issues including Human Rights Act.

Housing litigation such as:

— disrepair claims,

— anti-social behaviour proceedings,

— possession proceedings (all types),

— trespassers,

— possession succession,

— evictions,

— gas servicing and other access injunctions,

— supported housing disputes,

— terminating licence agreements and obtaining possession,

— service charge disputes,

— tenancy fraud,

— mediation,

— first tier tribunal advice and advocacy,

— leaseholder disputes,

— deceased leaseholders where executors not meeting their obligations or where no monies in estate,

— unlawful assignments,

— enforcement/forfeiture,

— leasehold and shared ownership sub-letting,

— managing Agent issues including those arising from Tri-Partite agreements i.e. RP, Leaseholder and Managing Agent.

General housing advice such as:

— tenancy agreement advice,

— anti-social behaviour advice,

— housing benefit advice,

— service charge advice,

— estate management board advice,

— managing agents contracts and service level agreements,

— supported and sheltered housing advice,

— advice on complaints,

— dilapidations,

— dealing with lack of mental capacity,

— judicial Review,

— welfare reform updates,

— data protection,

— energy supply agreements with residents.

Housing management policy advice such as:

— drafting and advising on new forms of tenancy and licence agreement,

— rent setting advice,

— policy drafting, approval and annual health checks,

— advice on procedures — this may include drafting all or part of a procedure.

Development

— public private partnerships,

— site Assembly,

— options to purchase,

— acquisitions/disposals of land/buildings including new build plot sales,

— acquisitions/disposals of tenanted stock,

— stock swaps,

— statutory agreements e.g. s.38, 278, 104,

— planning agreements e.g. s.106 and s.111,

— development agreements,

— development funding (including HCA Help to Buy agreements),

— management agreements,

— establishing development-related management companies including joint ventures,

— construction agreements (including collateral warranties),

— bonds,

— parent company guarantees,

— contentious construction,

— novation agreements,

— wayleaves and other utility agreements,

— building licences,

— grant agreements,

— health and safety,

— overage,

— planning advice,

— property taxation advice,

— procurement advice,

— development disputes (including litigation),

— environmental issues,

— ESCo/MUSCo leases and concession agreements,

— energy supply agreements with residents,

— consultant appointment letters,

— contract amendments,

— frameworks for consultants and contractors,

— Fire safety, asbestos water and other H and S law.

Commercial Property

— property rationalisation including purchases, disposals, stock swaps, TUPE (employment issues),

— purchases/disposals of real estate (general),

— auction acquisitions and disposals,

— easements,

— title investigations,

— agreements for lease/licences,

— granting and taking leases,

— management agreements,

— lease management e.g. licences to assign, licences for alterations, deeds of variation, lease extensions, rent review memoranda etc.

— advice relating to existing leases and management agreements,

— commercial Lease renewals and surrenders,

— tenanted sales initiatives,

— tenanted transfers including overage agreements,

— dilapidations,

— adverse possession including traveller issues,

— establishing property joint ventures,

— plot sales (commercial),

— consent issues relating to restrictions on title, including lifting of restrictive covenants,

— ground rent issues,

— property litigation,

— construction contracts (including professional services contracts),

— serving section 25 and s26 notices and responding to the same when served,

— re-possession of premises.

Residential Property

— purchases and sales of individual residential units (freehold/leasehold),

— new build plot sales (freehold/leasehold),

— easements,

— lifting of restrictive covenants,

— auctions,

— sales under right to buy, right to acquire /social homebuy,

— mortgage rescue,

— independent supported living purchases,

— service charge issues (including sinking fund disputes),

— leasehold enfranchisement,

— absent landlords (overseas etc.).

Shared Ownership

— setting up shared ownership schemes including drafting lease incorporating requirements of planning agreements and attending site as required during construction phase,

— staircasing (not final and final),

— resale/assignment to new owner,

— easements,

— lifting of restrictive covenants,

— surrenders,

— repossessions,

— new build plot sales,

— managing agent issues including those arising from Tripartite Agreements i.e. RP, leaseholder and managing agent,

— lease management e.g. licences to assign, licences for alterations, deeds of variations, lease extensions.