Science parks

Over the last 30 years, the team at Wright Hassall, led by partner Barry Sankey,have developed a flexible approach to managing science parks. With fast turn-around times for documentation and options for generating bespoke leases within a standard precedent, the team at Wright Hassall view themselves as an extension of the science park management to assist with the smooth running of the park in general.

The aim of our team is to protect the science park and its assets, while appreciating the ultimate goal of a viable and profitable business that harbours a supportive environment for businesses to develop and grow.

Our experiences to date indicate that most science parks are cooperative in nature and strive to help tenant’s to grow their company, develop their business with a hope of their tenant organisations graduating from accelerators and on-site smaller incubation or innovation units into larger commercial spaces.

Leasing premises does not simply require getting a lease in place. Having robust documentation outlining specific break and repair obligations in important, but so too is the facilitation of a tenant’s entry into or exit from your property.

As well as the leases required for the units on a science park that is already fully operational, there are a variety of other property transactions that may appear from time to time.

Working with our wider commercial property team, we can support a science park to expand, either by purchasing a new site for development (for which our planning and construction colleagues would also assist) or redeveloping old buildings and areas. Furthermore,our team can assist to ensure that the day-to-day running of the park is smooth by getting Management Agreements in place to clarify the relevant roles of involved parties.

Our property investment and finance teams can support any science park looking to raise finance, through mortgages, charges, debentures, or selling off other portfolio properties. The range of commercial transactions that our team supports can directly translate into ensuring that a science park too is run in a financially viable manner.

Finally, our science park team has also dealt with a number of bespoke queries for our science park clients. For example, State Aid and the way in which they impact a science park’s operation is a query that has been increasingly raised over the last 12 months.

As a science park expands or looks to redevelop existing properties, a range of planning related queries may be raised. From submitting the initial applications for a development, through to the negotiation and completion of a range of agreements, our planning team can cover all stages of these transactions.

With a range of expertise dealing with Compulsory Purchase Orders and providing guidance on the legislative changes (e.g. amended Community Infrastructure Levy regulations), any queries

Our planning team can also advise and assist clients with the Judicial Reviews process and any appeals and enforcement thereafter.

More information regarding the spectrum of ways in which our planning team can assist can be found here.

Immediately the term construction will imply the physical construction of the science park buildings. While our team will eagerly assist in any the project such as this, further consideration can be given to the support that our construction team can give to an existing site.

Other areas we can assist with rolling repair and maintenance obligations of all buildings on site. From contract negotiation to managing the supply chain we can help. Tenant fit outs and dilapidations, risk management, service delivery times and branding, are all points at which our construction team can support.

Construction is about more than just the physical building of a property. The maintenance, upkeep, latent defects are all issues that can occur long after a property is built.

The construction team specialise in all elements of building projects and maintenance. More information regarding the spectrum of ways in which our construction team can assist can be found here. 

No matter how well-managed your science park may be, you may find yourself with a tenant who proves challenging to a landlord. Our property litigation team deal with all elements of property-related litigation from enforcing covenants to the forfeiture of leases.

Working with an understanding of the Science Park, innovation and incubation ethos of assisting and supporting tenants to build and develop; our property litigation specialists will provide practical solutions which protect your position in a fair way.

More information regarding the spectrum of ways in which our property litigation team can assist can be found here. 

The corporate challenges facing the owner / landlord of a Science Park can be varied, particularly with reductions in public funding and the increase in joint ventures of the parks. Our corporate team are on hand to assist with Joint Venture Agreements, providing assistance through the corporate governance and compliance regimes. 

Queries and issues arise for all companies, and the corporate team is well placed to help resolve any such concerns.

More information regarding the spectrum of ways in which our corporate team can assist can be found here. 

Our corporate team advise a range of businesses (public or private, owner managed, entrepreneur start-ups) throughout the corporate lifecycle. From starting up a new company, company secretarial services, assisting with mergers and acquisitions of companies to financial and corporate restructuring of an established company our corporate team will have the expertise to help.

The corporate team have previous provided science park tenants with advice  on many issues, from shareholder resolutions, proxy forms and general company secretarial services, though to management and minority protection.

More information regarding the way in which our corporate team can assist can be found here. 

Our Commercial team help entrepreneurs and other corporations support the day-to-day operation of their business and help them to maximise profit while minimising risk. From drafting or updating terms of business and ensuring confidentiality against competitors to helping software development and licensing, our range of expertise will be able to assist you to take your business forward.

Our commercial team have previously helped other science park tenants with clinical trial agreements, social media disclaimers and supply agreements.

More information regarding the way in which our commercial team can assist can be found here.

Our employment team know that the people within a business are a major asset, particularly where that business is in its infant stages or development. As such ensuring that, any employment contracts used provide certainty for all parties and the right person is hired to take your business forward, are potentially daunting prospects that we can assist with.

Our employment team provide a range of services, from HR consultancy, to advising on any employment-related service, whatever the size of the businesses and associated workforce.

More information regarding the way in which our employment and HR team can assist can be found here. 

Our intellectual property (IP) team advise a range of both businesses and individuals in all elements of managing, protecting and exploiting the IP they have developed. They understand that a new idea or product needs to be protected, and a range of experience from new inventions and designs to artistic and musical work. We can conduct IP audits for any size business and, should you feel that your IP has been infringed, we are able to enforce the through negotiation, agreement or, in the most extreme cases, court proceedings.

More information regarding the way in which our intellectual property team can assist can be found here. 

If you’re a tenant at a science park, and we do not act for that science park, or are looking to graduate from a science park to another commercial premises, we are able to provide property advice for a range of scenarios.

Previously, our team have assisted with leasing of additional commercial premises when a company grows and requires more space, licences for alterations so that the internal layout suits the company purpose and the assignment of an existing lease to another group company.

More information regarding the wide range of property services that the real estate team can provide, please click here.