Matthew
Crossley

Matthew is a commercial development specialist in our Construction team with a deep passion for the built environment. He has extensive experience working on major development and regeneration schemes both in the UK and internationally, within all major built environment sectors.

Matthew advises a diverse array of clients, including public bodies, regeneration agencies, major banks, funds, and asset managers, major media broadcasters, contractors, and developers. His expertise encompasses a wide range of construction-related contracts, including standard form and bespoke building and engineering contracts (including JCT, NEC, and FIDIC), along with ancillary documents such as security documents, escrow and project bank account arrangements. Matthew also advises on related arrangements such as development agreements, development finance agreements, sale purchase agreements, forward purchasing and forward funding arrangements, and concession agreements.

He has been part of projects that have been nominated for prestigious awards, such as the UK Atomic Energy Authority's Fusion Foundations Programme. This project, which involved leading on the project delivery agreement between UKAEA and General Fusion for a £100m Fusion Demonstration Facility at Culham, UK, was nominated for "The Lawyer Awards - Real Estate Team of the Year 2022" and "Law.com Property Team of the Year 2022."

“The construction team at Simmons & Simmons has very quickly established itself as a key trusted adviser.” Client Quote - Legal 500, 2025

Matthew's secondment within the construction team of an international retailer has equipped him with a unique, client-focused perspective, further enhancing the value of his advice to clients across the built environment sectors.

Matthew’s experience includes advising:

• Hermes Asset Management on site wide infrastructure and the first phase (consisting of two new build commercial offices for c£35m each) of Paradise Circus, a £500m regeneration scheme in the centre of Birmingham.
• Birmingham City Council in relation to the procurement of its £450m Commonwealth Games Athletes’ Village (Perry Barr Residential Scheme) and the £70m redevelopment of the Alexander Stadium as the centrepiece for the games.
• YTL Developments on Phase 1 of a housing project at Filton, part of a 4000 home regeneration scheme including employment, commercial, retail and entertainment space, and a 1,500 unit £150m PBSA project, as well as early works packages in relation to the 14,000 seater YTL Arena.
• Tesco Stores / Spen Hill Regeneration leading on a series of new stores, distribution centres and mixed use development projects throughout the UK, as well as advising on the construction aspects of leasehold arrangements. Leading on the procurement of a range of mixed-use developments throughout the UK, including the award winning £125m residential and retail project at Woolwich and a regeneration scheme in Coventry.
• UK Atomic Energy Authority leading on the Fusion Foundations Programme, including the project delivery agreement between UKAEA and General Fusion, to deliver a c£100m Fusion Demonstration Facility at Culham, UK.