Development Projects
Structuring, procuring, and delivering the region's most ambitious development projects.
From land to opening day.
We advise developers, sponsors, and joint venture participants on the full lifecycle of development projects — commercial, residential, mixed-use, and hospitality.
Our lawyers combine real estate depth with construction, planning, financing, and disputes capability — one team from concept to completion.
- Development JV structuring
- Construction procurement
- Planning and approvals
- Completion and stabilisation
How we approach this practice.
We advise developers, investors, and contractors on commercial, residential, and mixed-use projects — spanning land acquisition, zoning and planning approvals, construction financing, and the structuring of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). We understand the cyclical nature of the property market and structure deals to withstand volatility.
The full development lifecycle.
Land-owner / developer JVs, waterfall economics, and reserved matters architecture.
FIDIC and NEC-based construction contracts, EPC arrangements, and consultant appointments.
Change of user, NEMA, and county-level approvals sequenced against the delivery plan.
Development, mezzanine, and forward-funding arrangements with lender-side coordination.
Pre-let, pre-sale, and forward-funding structures with institutional counterparties.
Delivery risk allocation, delay claims, and disputes-integrated project management.
A disciplined path from concept to close.
- 01Commercial Alignment
We start with the commercial map — economics, control, contributions, and outcome — before drafting a single clause.
- 02Structural Blueprint
A structuring memo sets out the vehicle, jurisdiction, tax treatment, and regulatory path, benchmarked against comparable matters.
- 03Documentation
Bespoke documentation drafted as an integrated instrument set — designed to survive later scrutiny.
- 04Approvals & Closing
Regulator engagement, condition-precedent management, and a disciplined closing choreography.
- 05Stewardship
Ongoing counsel through the life of the matter — governance, calendaring, and dispute-prevention.
Selected development mandates.
A partial view of the mandates we have advised on — sanitised for confidentiality, but indicative of the scale and complexity of our work.
- 01
Advised the developer on a landmark mixed-use scheme in Westlands, Nairobi.
- 02
Counsel to a hospitality sponsor on the development of a five-star hotel on prime land.
- 03
Acted for the land-owner in a large-scale development JV with an international sponsor.
- 04
Represented the lender on the forward funding of a Grade A office asset.
Partners leading the practice.
Where this work connects.
Considering a matter? Speak with the partner who will run it.
A confidential, no-obligation conversation with a partner — usually within one business day.