Corporate, Real Estate, Construction & Procurement Law
Corporate property, estates, construction, procurement, and transaction support across land, project, and business matters.
II · Overview
How we approach law.
This practice brings together corporate real estate, wills and probate, construction, procurement, and related transactional or dispute-sensitive advisory work.
The Chambers assists with land and property structures, estate administration, construction contracts and tenders, procurement compliance, zoning-related issues, and dispute resolution connected to these sectors.
Corporate work runs on the Companies Act No. 7 of 2007 — incorporation, share structure, directors' duties, and the filings that keep an entity in good standing. Foreign participation adds a layer: whether a sector permits full foreign shareholding, whether Board of Investment status is available, and whether a Colombo Port City registration under Act No. 11 of 2021 offers a better route. All three are cheaper to settle before incorporation than after.
Property work here is title-driven, and title is established by tracing the chain of deeds through the Registration of Documents Ordinance. No certificate substitutes for that exercise. A proper investigation covers the devolution of title, prior encumbrances, planning and zoning status, and — for foreign buyers — the restrictions on freehold acquisition and the 99-year lease and condominium routes that remain open.
Construction and procurement disputes tend to arise from the same three places: variations agreed on site but never documented, extension-of-time claims unsupported by contemporaneous records, and payment applications that did not follow the contractual mechanism. Public procurement adds challenge rights and a compressed timetable in which to exercise them.
The objective is careful legal structuring supported by practical judgement, especially where projects, assets, or succession planning require long-term clarity.
III · Index of Services
What we handle.
Real estate, wills and probate law
Corporate real estate transactions
Personal property services
Land use and zoning compliance
Dispute resolution
Wills, probate and estate administration
Construction and procurement law
Construction contracts and tenders
Procurement compliance
IV · Representations
We have acted for those who require discretion.
Property owners
Developers
Businesses
Families and estate stakeholders
V · Connected Writing
Insights, in context.
VI · Common Questions
Questions we are often asked.
- Can a foreign national or foreign company own land in Sri Lanka?
- Freehold acquisition by foreign nationals and foreign-controlled companies is restricted. The routes that generally remain open are a lease of up to 99 years, condominium ownership above a prescribed floor level, and acquisition through a company meeting the local-shareholding threshold. Which applies depends on the buyer and the property, and getting it wrong is expensive to reverse.
- What causes most construction disputes?
- Records, more often than disagreement about the law. Variations instructed on site but never confirmed in writing, delay claims without contemporaneous notice, and payment applications that do not follow the contractual mechanism account for a large share of what reaches formal dispute. A contract administered properly produces fewer arguments than one drafted well and then ignored.
- Should title be checked before buying land in Sri Lanka?
- Yes. Title verification and a search at the Land Registry are essential before a transfer, because gaps in the chain of title, prior mortgages, or partition history can affect what a buyer actually receives.
- Must a deed of transfer be notarially executed?
- Yes. A transfer of land in Sri Lanka must be by deed attested by a notary and executed before witnesses, and the deed should be registered to protect the buyer's interest.
- Do you advise on construction and procurement contracts?
- Yes. The practice covers construction contracts and tenders, procurement compliance, and disputes arising on projects, from contract formation through to claims.
AW
VII · Engage Counsel
Discuss your matter.
Conversations with the Chambers are confidential. We respond within one working day.
