Tom Bowes

I am a Partner specialising in commercial property and development work, and I qualified as a solicitor in 2001. I joined Chubb Bulleid in 2017, having previously worked at regional firm Foot Anstey LLP and international law firm DLA Piper. I advise landowners and developers on bringing forward residential and commercial development projects, and I particularly enjoy helping clients find practical solutions to complex issues and move projects towards a successful outcome.

What I enjoy most about my role is working as part of a team. Whether that’s collaborating with clients, agents, planners and other advisers, or working alongside junior lawyers as they develop their careers, I believe the best results come from people working together towards a common goal. Helping younger lawyers build their confidence, improve their drafting skills and learn how to tackle difficult legal and commercial issues is one of the most rewarding aspects of my role. Outside work, you’ll usually find me watching cricket, reading a good novel or supporting my children from the sidelines of whichever sport they happen to be playing that week.

What I do

I advise landowners and developers on commercial and residential development projects of all sizes. Much of my work involves putting together the legal frameworks that allow sites to be brought forward for development, including option agreements, promotion agreements, collaboration agreements and site assembly arrangements.

No two projects are the same. Some involve helping family landowners unlock the value of land with development potential, whilst others involve coordinating complex transactions for developers acquiring and assembling multiple interests across a site. My role is to help clients achieve their commercial objectives whilst navigating what can often be a lengthy and complicated process.

Development projects involve many different professional advisers, and I enjoy bringing those different strands together to keep matters progressing.

Alongside my client work, I take a keen interest in developing the next generation of lawyers. I enjoy working with junior members of the team, helping them think through complex problems, develop practical drafting skills and gain the confidence that comes from experience. Seeing colleagues grow into accomplished lawyers is one of the most rewarding parts of being a partner.

A bit more about me

What do you do when you’re not in the office?

Family life takes up a fair amount of my spare time, usually watching my two children take part in a variety of sporting activities. I am also a member of Somerset County Cricket Club and a juniors coach at Long Sutton Cricket Club. I also enjoy skiing and golf (not very good at either). I still pick up the guitar now and again, mainly these days with my daughter providing the vocals for our Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo covers!

What’s something clients might be surprised to learn about you?

I once spent a month in the Amazon rainforest living on a boat. It was an unforgettable experience and a world away from negotiating development agreements. I read fiction whenever I can. My favourite authors are William Boyd and Patrick Hamilton, and there is usually a book close to hand whenever I get the chance to sit still.

What’s the most rewarding part of your work?

Seeing a project come together after years of planning and negotiation. Development projects can take a long time to progress, so it is particularly satisfying to look back at a completed scheme and know you played a part in helping to make it happen. Just as rewarding is seeing junior lawyers develop over time. Watching someone progress from dealing with the basics to confidently handling complex transactions and difficult negotiations is a reminder that successful teams are built over many years, and I am proud to play a part in that process.