Paul became a partner in 2004. He is a top ranked lawyer in Real Estate in Chambers UK 2025 (a client's guide to the UK legal profession) where he is ranked Band 1 as a leading individual for Real Estate: £10-50 million. He has retained this ranking for the last 16 years.
Areas of expertise
Paul has particular expertise in dealing with:
- Commercial and residential development work
- Large scales site assembly
- Contracts and options conditional upon planning consent/planning promotion agreements and collaboration agreements
- Overage agreements
- Forward commitment / Forward Funding Agreements
- Landlord and tenant work
- Investment acquisitions and disposals
What clients and directories have said
A highly technical lawyer who really cares about the work that he does."
Chambers and Partners, 2023
Paul Harbour really knows his industry. Charming, clever, hard-working, skilled and a great lawyer. I could not recommend him more highly!"
The Legal 500 UK, 2021
He's incredibly hard-working, easy to communicate with and can simplify complex matters and get them done. He is very deal-oriented and focused on the commercial side of things... a really good strategic thinker."
Chambers and Partners UK, 2021
Paul Harbour is vastly experienced in handling complex deals relating to both commercial and residential real estate. He has expertise in complex development and investment work as well as handling landlord and tenant matters."
Chambers and Partners UK, 2021
Paul is probably the best property lawyer I've ever come across. He is really insightful and commercial, as well as being very accessible and pleasant to deal with."
Chambers and Partners UK, 2020
He is highly commercial and frequently goes above and beyond."
Chambers and Partners UK, 2019
Paul Harbour is recommended for his "long experience and very good technical knowledge."
Chambers and Partners UK, 2018
Department head Paul Harbour gathers praise from clients for his 'enormously effective' advice and for 'doing whatever it takes to get a deal over the line'. His broad real estate practice encompasses acting on transactions, landlord and tenant work, site assembly and contract matters."
Chambers and Partners UK, 2017
He "advised Amsprop Cheapside on the letting of 5 Cheapside, London."
Legal 500 2016
Recent work
- Acting for the seller of an industrial estate to Blackstone for in excess of £40M conditional upon, inter alia, the relocation of an existing tenant of part to alternative premises organised by the seller;
- Acting for a buyer of a retail portfolio for in excess of £12M and the subsequent onward sale of the individual retail properties by way of subsale/novations of part of the portfolio sale contract to buyers at Auction;
- Acting for seller of part of a development site in Battersea, near the River Thames, with planning for a 25-storey block of flats with basement parking, conditional upon various matters including a Section 73 consent, implementation and CLEUD, stopping up order, vacant possession, diversion of utilities and putting in place access arrangements;
- Acting for the seller of a long leasehold interest to a UK Bank for in excess of £24M, subject to a turnover overage.
