TWO law firms based in the region are flourishing in the South after playing a part in deals worth more than £50m.

Ward Hadaway and Dickinson Dees have been flying the flag in two property deals.

Ward Hadaway has worked on business valued at £50m in London and the South-East in recent months, including its latest appointment, dealing with a £17m mixed-use site in the centre of the capital.

The Church Commissioners, a charitable body that uses the returns from its investments to support the Church's ministry, employed the Newcastle firm to help with the purchase of Imperial House.

The property, bought from Moorevale in a deal completed in six weeks, is a multi-let building including caf and restaurant retail businesses at street level, with eight floors of offices above.

The Church Commissioners has a property portfolio of more than £1bn in England and Scotland.

Dickinson Dees, based in Newcastle and Stockton, has been advising Bellway Homes on a joint venture agreement with English Partnerships to redevelop one of Europe's largest brownfield sites.

Bellway has been contracted to work on the development of the Thames Gateway, which will cover more than 370 acres and will contain 11,000 homes.

Neil Braithwaite, Dickinson Dees property partner, said: "This project will make a major contribution to meeting the Governments key objectives for housing and will act as a template for further developments."