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Carina Davis

Partner

What can I do for you

As head of the built environment sector, Carina brings deep expertise in the creation and delivery of new homes and mixed-use communities, with a particular focus on mixed tenure models, placemaking, and long-term stewardship. Her work is grounded in the belief that successful places are built through strong, collaborative partnerships between the public and private sectors, and she specialises in unlocking value through these relationships.

With over 20 years of experience, Carina has supported a wide range of stakeholders — including investors, developers, funders, owners, and occupiers — across the full lifecycle of real estate assets. From acquisition and development to re-gearing, asset management, and disposal, Carina provides strategic and commercially focused advice that helps clients navigate complexity and deliver sustainable outcomes.

Whether you're looking to shape a new community, optimise a portfolio, or structure a long-term stewardship model, Carina offers a unique blend of sector insight, legal expertise, and a collaborative approach to help you achieve your goals.

Supporting your ambitions

Carina's approach is simple but powerful: to support your ambitions — wherever they take you. She delivers pragmatic and innovative solutions, adopting a proactive approach aligned with your priorities, commercial objectives and risk profile. Whether structuring the delivery of a new community, a portfolio strategy or public/private partnership, she will act as a trusted extension of your team — open, responsive and accountable.

Your cheerleader — collaborative, challenging and someone who genuinely cares about supporting your objectives.

What do others say

Legal 500 describes Carina as a "truly exceptional lawyer", whilst her clients find Carina "measured and responsive", and say "she is an exceptionally talented real estate lawyer who is one step ahead. She makes our lives a lot easier and has solutions before we've thought of the problem", "the Mary Poppins of the property world: diligent, tenacious and technically strong."

What else should you know

Carina is a part of the firm's executive leadership board, as well as member of the British Property Federation's Built to Rent committee.

Carina champions the physical and mental benefits of exercise, which means she is the crazy person in the gym before 6am, or at reformer Pilates at 9pm — willingly and with a smile on her face!

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.

As many clients will testify, too many lawyers deliver the required legal expertise but fail to deliver an outstanding client experience. Which is why we always listen to our clients and constantly ask ourselves what we can do to deliver the results you expect.

You expect a close and attentive working relationship, with a lawyer that is responsive and available when you need them. You also want clear, pragmatic and commercial advice tailored to your needs, and transparency and certainty on costs. We completely agree. That’s why every day, through our culture and approach we are committed to delivering the exceptional results and service our clients expect of us.

Related sectors and services

  • Real estate
  • Built environment
  • Real estate investment
  • Living