Michelle Cookson

Partner

photo for Michelle Cookson

What can I do for you

Michelle is a partner in our award winning real estate practice and specialises in high-value complex investment and development projects. 

Michelle advises investors on the strategic management of their investment portfolios and landowners and developers on the acquisition and development of large residential and commercial sites.

What do others say

Michelle is recognised as a leading individual in Legal 500 2019. Clients say that she is “highly skilled and a pleasure to work with”. They appreciate her ability to act as a trusted adviser with the experience to provide commercial advice and the determination to find solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems.

Supporting your ambitions

Recent highlights for Michelle include advising on:

  • the strategic management of Trinity College’s substantial investment portfolio which includes The O2, Cambridge Science Park, Felixstowe Docks and Dunsfold Airfield - a large mixed use site  which includes the Top Gear track.
  • development opportunities for more than 6,000 new homes across the South East.
  • the development of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus including a £200 million LMB for the MRC, the relocated Papworth Hospital and the new global HQ for AstraZeneca.
  •  the acquisition by a US REIT of a portfolio of private hospitals in the UK.

What else should you know?

After training in Manchester and London, Michelle joined Francis & Co, Cambridge with a long history of acting for Cambridge Colleges. Michelle immediately built a strong relationship with Sir John Bradfield, then Senior Bursar of Trinity College and on account of that relationship, became the first woman partner in 200 years on the merger with Mills & Reeve.

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What our clients say about us

“I think Mills & Reeve are a wonderful firm. The support they have provided to us in a really difficult area has been brilliant, collaborative and commercially minded. The team were absolutely wonderful and a joy to work with. Amazing advice and support and a real collaborative effort with us. I can't thank them enough for getting us through some really tough times and doing so with an amazing can-do attitude.”

“They are friendly, fast, always available and always on top of the game. I tend to judge my legal team against the other side's legal team and never doubt Mills & Reeve is the better of the two.”

“All interactions have been very clear. Responses to questions have always been very swift and unambiguous. Our company, and my family, have used various services in Mills & Reeve with the same level of satisfaction.”

“I value the fact that Mills & Reeve are recognised as a good place to work in the UK Best Companies survey. This aligns with the values of our business and means that Mills & Reeve can share what is required to achieve this status with our business.”