Jason Wood
Partner & Head of Commercial Property
Practice areas
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What I do
I joined Smith Partnership in 1992 and am Head of the Commercial Property team. I have over 30 years of experience and have dealt with a large cross section of complex commercial property matters. My clients include many private sector clients involved in development schemes and property finance together with complex landlord and tenant matters.
My experience includes site assembly and development, property finance, investment acquisition and funding agreements and the negotiation of institutionally acceptable leases.
The Commercial Property team have been the headline sponsor of the Derby Property Summit, an event attended by over 500 property specialists where I led a seminar on the difficulties faced by city centres and unlocking their potential.
I have acted on behalf of a US client who specialises in the sterilisation of medical equipment used by the NHS and other medical providers in relation to the purchase of land from Henry Boot Developments Limited and subsequent development agreement for the construction of a bespoke factory with a value in excess of £10 million.
I have also acted for clients in relation to a new facility with HSBC Bank plc with a value of approximately £8 million. This will enable the clients to acquire further land for development purposes.
Qualification year:
Admitted to the roll of Solicitor on 1st March 1988.
Supervisor:
What I bring to the team
A wealth of experience. Having been involved with commercial property work for 27 years I have been involved in numerous complex and testing transactions. There are not too many scenarios that I have not come across.
Key interests
Films, travel either abroad or in the UK in our motorhome, music festivals, spending quality time with my family. Lifelong Arsenal fan. Sometime golfer when time permits.
Testimonials
Smith Partnership advises on a variety of commercial property matters, including developments, landlord and tenant issues and property finance work, with particular experience in the hospitality and healthcare sectors. Practice head Jason Wood specialises in advising developers on site assemblies and the subsequent sale of plots and acts for property portfolios on the purchase, sale and leasing of properties.
The thing that makes Smith Partnership unique is that they give good old-fashioned personal service, and they care.
The Legal 500, 2023
The ‘highly professional’ Smith Partnership offers ‘excellent business acumen’ and ‘great depth of expertise’.
Key figures include practice head Jason Wood, who has particular expertise in the healthcare sector. The group's expertise covers acquisitions and disposals, property finance and development work, landlord and tenant instructions and corporate support work. The client list features a major pub company and several players from the food and drink industry.
The Legal 500, 2023
The commercial property team at Smith Partnership provides a comprehensive service, spanning acquisitions, dispositions, refinancing, and easements, and is especially geared towards the industrial and charity sectors. Team lead Jason Wood chiefly focuses on development schemes and property finance mandates. Danielle Upton handles a varied caseload and is particularly well-versed in matters in the industrial sector, including the sale and purchase of warehouses and distribution centres.
‘I found Smith Partnership was extremely effective at planning the foreseeable, as well as the not-so-foreseeable conveyancing needs of my work. They protected my interests but were commercial in wanting to get the deal done for me.’
‘The team is excellent. There is fantastic collaboration to overcome any legal challenges that present themselves during the process. They are efficient, concise, and informative, which helps their clients keep up to date with the whole process.’
The Legal 500, 2026
The Derby-based team at Smith Partnership is very experienced in assisting charity and industrial sector clients with a wide range of commercial property matters, including pension schemes, acquisitions and disposals, and finance cases. Additionally, the group brings expertise in advising energy sector entities on development work. Team lead Jason Wood is a key contact for funding matters and site assembly issues.
'Very competent, transparent, and act in a timely fashion. Professional yet approachable.'
The Legal 500, 2027
