New partners for real estate team

Gardner Leader, a leading regional law firm, has expanded its real estate team with the appointment of partners, Charlotte Botham and Belinda Sinnott, as the firm continues to respond to growing demand for specialist real estate expertise across the South West.

The region’s commercial property market continues to show resilient growth, according to a report by Alder King. Office take-up in the South West totalled 2,090 units in 2025, up from 1,366 the year before, while industrial take-up grew by 173% over the same period.

The new hires form part of the firm’s continued growth strategy, which has seen Gardner Leader expand into Swindon and Oxford and increase its headcount by over 50% to more than 200 people over the last five years, alongside increased demand from investors, developers and corporate clients across the region.

Botham joins with nearly 20 years’ experience across international, City and regional firms, most recently as Head of Property at Horsey Lightly.

She advises on acquisitions and disposals, landlord and tenant matters, secured lending, and the property elements of corporate transactions. Her experience includes acting on the £64m sale of a public house portfolio for a major leisure company, as well as advising institutional investors, pension funds and a global charitable foundation on complex property matters. She has a particular interest in portfolio management, acting for corporates and individuals with commercial and mixed-use property portfolios.

Sinnott joins from Gateley Legal, where she was a Legal Director, bringing nearly 20 years’ experience specialising in residential development.

Having acted for a number of the UK’s leading housebuilders, Sinnott has extensive experience advising housebuilders, property developers, landowners and land traders through complex transactions and projects. She advises on the acquisition, disposal and promotion of both greenfield and brownfield development sites across the South. Her specialisms include conditional contracts, sub-sale, option, and promotion agreements, and unconditional contracts, as well as advising on overage arrangements, affordable housing disposals, and associated transactions.

Botham said: “Gardner Leader has a strong reputation for delivering high-quality, commercially focused advice. It’s exciting to be joining the firm as it cements its position as having one of the leading real estate teams in the south of England. I’m looking forward to supporting both new and existing clients and adding my expertise as we continue to strengthen our services.”

Sinnott said: “I was drawn to Gardner Leader’s strong presence in the commercial property sector, the depth of experience within the team, and its clear commitment to supporting clients across the full lifecycle of their projects. The firm’s practical, commercially focused advice and long-term client relationships strongly reflects my own approach, and I’m pleased to bring my experience in residential development to further strengthen the team’s offering to housebuilders, developers and landowners across the region.”

Recently certified as a B Corp, highlighting its commitment to balancing commercial success with positive social and environmental impact, Gardner Leader has been at the heart of the Thames Valley community for over 130 years. With offices in Swindon, Newbury, Thatcham, Maidenhead, Oxford, Windsor, and London, its highly experienced team of legal professionals work across nine specialist teams each dedicated to providing specific services to businesses and individuals. 

Partner and head of the real estate team, Greg Humphreys said: “The appointments of Charlotte and Belinda mark an important step in the continued growth of our real estate team. Both bring a depth of experience and sector knowledge that will be of real benefit to our clients. Their arrival also supports our continued investment in the team, where we are seeing increasing demand for specialist real estate expertise from businesses, developers and investors across the wider South West and beyond.”