Victoria Walton Partner and Head of Commercial Property
Commercial Property
Victoria Walton is a highly respected and experienced commercial property lawyer with nearly 25 years of expertise in the field. She joined Swinburne Maddison LLP in 1999 as a trainee solicitor, qualified in 2001, and was later promoted to Partner in 2006. As Head of the Commercial Property team, Victoria plays a pivotal role in shaping the firm’s property and development services, ensuring clients receive commercially focused, practical legal advice.
Victoria’s extensive experience spans complex commercial transactions, large-scale residential and commercial developments, and advising registered providers of social housing. Her ability to navigate intricate agreements—including site acquisitions, site set-ups, and inter-developer arrangements—sets her apart in the industry. Her strategic approach, coupled with a deep understanding of her clients’ commercial goals, makes her a trusted advisor for property developers, landowners, commercial landlords, and social housing providers.
Under Victoria’s leadership, the Commercial Property team at Swinburne Maddison has seen significant growth, both in terms of team size and turnover, reflecting her ability to drive success. She is passionate about fostering a collaborative team environment and ensuring that clients benefit from seamless, expert-driven legal support.
- Commercial Property Transactions
- Residential & Commercial Developments
- Social Housing
- Landlord & Tenant Matters
- Conditional Contracts, Options & Overage Agreements
- Property Finance
Victoria has been instrumental in handling high-value and complex property transactions throughout her career.
Some of her career highlights include:
- Acting as the sole legal advisor for a regional house builder with a turnover of £242m, overseeing acquisitions for multiple sites totalling over 250 residential units, with a built value exceeding £90 million.
- Advising on the acquisition of a development site, and structuring agreements between developers and registered providers of social housing, including Development Management and Overage Agreements.
- Representing a landowner in an Option Agreement with a national developer for the construction of up to 200 homes.
- Negotiating commercial leases for high-value properties, including a lease of a leisure facility at an annual rent of £200,000 and an agreement for lease for a newly built industrial unit at a rent of £300,000 per annum.
- Advising entrepreneurs on the acquisition and leasing of prime restaurant sites in Durham City Centre.
- Acting on behalf of various landowners and developers in structuring agreements such as conditional contracts, pre-emption rights, promotion agreements, and overage arrangements.
Victoria’s hands-on approach ensures that transactions are executed efficiently while mitigating risks for her clients. She takes pride in crafting solutions that align with both commercial realities and legal requirements, helping businesses and individuals navigate property matters with confidence.
Victoria was appointed as a trustee for St Cuthbert’s Hospice in 2022. Her role involves contributing to the strategic direction and governance of the charity, ensuring it continues to provide outstanding care and support to individuals and families in need.
In addition, Victoria is a committee member for The Dunelm Foundation, an organisation which supports various charitable causes across the region.
Victoria was named as a Leading Partner in The Legal 500 2025 edition for Commercial Property. Prior to this she recognised as a Leading Individual within this category for 6 consecutive years. This highlighting her expertise as being one of the regions go to lawyers within this field.
Under Victoria’s leadership, Swinburne Maddison’s Commercial Property team has been ranked as a Tier One firm in The Legal 500 for the eighth consecutive year.
In 2022, Swinburne Maddison were named Property Law Firm of the Year at the Insider North East Property Awards.
"Victoria Walton is an exceptional solicitor and has worked with us for many years, which gives her a keen understanding of our business, needs and aspirations."
"Victoria Walton is especially outstanding, as she is always available and works to tight deadlines."
"Victoria Walton has worked on several transactions I have been connected with. She has managed expectations and worked well to deadlines. Her knowledge and expertise have been shared in an easy-to-follow fashion. She is a pleasure to work with."
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