Guy Sackett

National Head of Real Estate

Real Estate

Chichester

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Biography

Guy is a partner and national head of the Real Estate division. He is a real estate development lawyer with over 25 years' experience in commercial and residential development.

His focus over the past five years has been on large scale residential and mixed-use regeneration schemes. He also has significant expertise in the strategic land and student accommodation sectors, and acts for a number of leading developers, promoters and operators.

Key highlights

In recent years Guy has acted on a number of significant transactions including:

Advising Sussex County Cricket Club on the residential-led development of part of the County Ground in a joint venture with Roffey Homes
Advising Summix Capital in its role as lead promoter, promoting Worcestershire Parkway as an allocation for residential-led mixed use development of a new settlement providing a substantial housing supply over the course of the plan period
Acting for a long-standing student accommodation developer client in connection with the funding and development of a 215 unit central London scheme with a GDV in excess of £130m
Advising a leading developer in relation to a key residential-led town centre regeneration opportunity (estimated GDV in excess of £60m) in partnership with the local council
Advising Landlink Estates on the pre-letting, development and forward funding of Saltbox Business Park (an industrial/ retail/logistics park in West Sussex)
Advising on the acquisition, development and funding of the iconic St Georges Tower, Leicester comprising: student, hotel, offices, residential, leisure and retail

Testimonials

Led by Guy Sackett, the team at Irwin Mitchell in Crawley offers a ‘very personal and quick service’. - Legal 500, 2025

"Guy Sackett is always available to discuss any queries." - Chambers & Partners 2025 (Leading Individual - Band 4)

"He has a good combination of high technical skill and the ability to present complicated projects very well to non-legal people...Guy Sackett is engaging, knowledgeable and understands the way we work. He is pragmatic in his approach and always there to talk through strategies." - Chambers & Partners 2022 (Leading Individual - Band 4)

"Guy Sackett is a highly competent lawyer, easy to work with, technically brilliant and a strong negotiator. Most lawyers I work with are strong in areas but very few are strong in all." - Legal 500, 2021

Expertise In

Guy's accreditations & awards

Guy is based in the following location(s)

Chichester
Thomas Eggar House, Friary Lane, Chichester, PO19 1UF.
01243 888 504(Telephone)
Opening Hours

Mon - Fri: 8am–6pm

Sat - Sun - Bank Holidays: Closed
View office details

More about Guy

What are your core areas of expertise and which clients do you typically advise?

My core area of expertise lies in real estate development with a particular focus on:

Strategic land
Student accommodation
Mixed-use regeneration schemes
Public-private partnership structures

I typically advise:

Strategic land promoters
Residential developers
Student accommodation operators
Logistics and energy developers

What recent successes have you achieved for your clients? (Can you share a few recent examples that best showcase your work?)

My recent highlights include:

Advising a developer client on the delivery of a key strategic town centre regeneration scheme, in partnership with the local council as landowner.
Advising on the debt restructuring and re-development of a prominent student accommodation scheme in Islington with an estimated GDV in excess of £100 million.
Advising a master promoter client in connection with the proposed delivery of a 10,000+ unit new town scheme, in conjunction with Homes England.

What were the most significant matters or deals you have led on? (What are one or two standout, career-defining matters you’ve led, and why were they significant?)

I advised HSBC in connection with the disposal of its London headquarters on Poultry, the Grade I listed Midland Bank Building designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. The transaction presented a number of complex challenges, including the preservation and management of the building’s listed internal features, many of which were also designed by Lutyens.

One of my most memorable experiences was receiving instructions from the bank’s board to exchange contracts just two days before Christmas. The call came while I was at Gatwick Airport with my wife and two very young children. Needless to say, festive celebrations had to take a temporary back seat while we completed the deal.

How is your expertise recognised within the industry? (What external recognition or supporting materials can we include?)

I am recognised for my ability to clearly explain detailed legal and technical information to ensure my clients are fully informed at every stage of the transaction. One of the UK’s largest independent legal guides, Chambers and Partners, states: “Guy has the ability to think through complicated transactions and then distil them into layman's terms. He is committed and always available when I need him. He is a genuine pleasure to work with.”

I am also noted for my expertise in mixed-use developments, strategic land and student accommodation schemes by Legal 500, another leading independent legal guide.

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