Real Estate at Herbert Smith Freehills | Career Guide

HSF's Real Estate practice is recognised for advising on complex, cross-border and high-value transactions that intersect with corporate, finance, disputes and energy work. The team acts for institutional investors, developers, lenders, corporates and public sector clients. HSF positions itself as a full-service real estate adviser that combines sector knowledge (for example logistics, data centres, energy transition and large-scale mixed-use development) with integration across other practice groups.

Reputation signals to look for when researching the team:

• Look for consistent rankings in directories such as Chambers, Legal 500 and IFLR. These show market recognition and peer feedback.

• Review partner biographies and recent deal lists on the HSF website and in trade press to understand the team's sector focus and client base.

• Monitor comment pieces and thought leadership from the team on topics like ESG in real estate, the impact of rising interest rates, and planning/development changes.

How to use this when applying:

• Tailor applications to reflect the team's strengths (for example, if the team highlights infrastructure and energy transition projects, explain how your experience or commercial awareness maps to those sectors).

• Mention recent market developments in cover letters or interviews to demonstrate specific commercial awareness relevant to HSF's client work.

The HSF real estate team typically covers a broad range of transactional and contentious work. Expect exposure to the following matter types during training and early qualification:

• Investment and portfolio transactions: Advising investors and funds on acquisitions and disposals of large UK or cross-border portfolios.

• Development and planning: Acting on site acquisitions, development agreements, joint venture arrangements and planning conditions for complex mixed-use schemes.

• Real estate finance and security: Structuring and documenting secured lending, refinancing and asset-backed facilities for banks and borrowers.

• Landlord and tenant: High-value lease negotiations, lease restructurings, and exit strategies for occupiers and landlords.

• Real estate disputes: Commercial litigation, arbitration and specialist lease disputes that require cross-team input with disputes lawyers.

• Sector-specific transactions: Data centres, logistics, retail restructuring, and energy/renewables projects where property issues are central.

Examples of how to frame experience on applications:

• If you have transactional experience, quantify it: "Assisted a solicitor on due diligence for a five-site logistics portfolio worth £Xm; prepared lease abstracts and identified title defects that led to drafting bespoke warranties."

• If you lack direct property work, focus on transferable skills: drafting, negotiation, project management and commercial analysis. Link those skills to real estate examples you have studied or encountered.

HSF advertises structured training for trainees and NQs with a focus on client-facing skills and cross-practice exposure. Training opportunities typically include formal learning modules, on-the-job seat rotations and mentoring.

Practical expectations and opportunities:

• Seat rotations: Trainees will rotate through relevant seats. Prepare to treat each seat like a mini-placement - set learning objectives with your supervisor and ask for responsibility on tasks such as drafting, due diligence and client correspondence.

• Formal training: Expect technical workshops on property documentation, anti-money laundering, and client management. Keep notes and build a checklist of clauses and common negotiation strategies you see repeatedly.

• Secondments: HSF is known for secondments both in-house with clients and internationally. Secondments are a prime way to deepen commercial knowledge and make yourself indispensable.

How to get the most from training:

1. Before each seat, set three measurable goals (for example: draft a head of terms; complete due diligence on a lease; sit in on a negotiation).

2. After each major task, request one piece of specific feedback and one practical improvement to work on next time.

3. Keep a dossier of precedents and drafting notes - label by topic (leases, security documents, warranties) so you can build a rapid-reference toolkit.

Why this matters for promotion:

• Demonstrable, structured learning and secondment experience are commonly cited in promotion and partnership decisions. Record outcomes of secondments and client feedback to evidence impact.

Applications for HSF's training contracts or NQ roles are competitive. Recruiters look for legal potential, commercial awareness, technical interest in property and strong interpersonal skills.

Before you apply, do the groundwork:

• Read the Real Estate pages on the HSF website and recent deal announcements.

• Use platforms like Chambers Student, LawCareers.Net, Legal Cheek and YourLegalLadder for market context, vacancy alerts and mock assessment materials.

• Build up commercial awareness on topics such as the logistics market, office-to-residential conversions, the data-centre boom, and ESG requirements for landlords and developers.

Application strategies:

1. CV and cover letter: Keep the CV concise and tailored. In the cover letter, link a short example of your experience to a real matter type the team handles. Use figures and outcomes where possible.

2. Competency examples: Prepare STAR responses focused on teamwork, resilience under pressure and commercial judgement. Use at least one example involving negotiation or a complex stakeholder environment.

3. Assessment centre: Expect group exercises and a written exercise simulating client advice or commercial analysis. Demonstrate clarity, structure and commercial thinking in writing - use headings and bullet points where permitted.

4. Technical preparation: Learn the basics of lease structure (term, break clauses, service charge, repairing obligations), and security documents so you can follow technical interview questions.

Interview day tips:

• Prepare three insightful questions about the team's strategy or a recent transaction.

• Where possible, mention regulatory or market changes and how they affect clients (for example, how ESG due diligence can affect borrowing terms).

• Follow up politely after interviews with a brief thank-you note referencing a conversation point to reinforce fit.

Day-to-day work varies from drafting documents and conducting due diligence to attending client meetings and supporting negotiations. You will balance urgent client deadlines with longer-term drafting and research tasks.

Typical daily activities you should be ready for:

• Drafting clauses in leases, sale contracts or security documents.

• Preparing and reviewing due diligence reports and title analysis.

• Attending client calls and taking detailed action points.

• Coordinating with finance, tax and planning colleagues on multi-disciplinary matters.

Career progression paths:

• After qualification, many solicitors specialise within transactional or contentious streams; others move into sector-focused roles (for example energy or logistics).

• Secondments to major clients or international offices are common stepping stones to senior roles and partnership.

Recommended resources to build knowledge and prepare applications:

• YourLegalLadder for training contract tracking, mentoring, SQE revision materials and weekly commercial awareness updates.

• Chambers Student and Legal 500 for team and lawyer rankings.

• LawCareers.Net and Legal Cheek for hiring timelines, interview reports and application tips.

• Industry publications such as Estates Gazette, Property Week and Lexology for trend commentary.

Closing practical checklist for applicants:

• Draft a targeted cover letter linking one clear example to HSF's real estate focus.

• Prepare STAR examples emphasising negotiation and commercial judgement.

• Build a shortlist of recent sector stories you can discuss intelligently (logistics, data centres, ESG, planning changes).

• Practice a written exercise summarising a client's options in 300-500 words with clear recommendations.