Dr Daniyal Shakeel

Dr Daniyal Shakeel is a highly regarded legal and financial professional with nearly two decades of interdisciplinary experience across legal practice, property consultancy, and higher education. He currently lectures in real estate and leads the RICS-accredited Apprenticeship BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management programme within the School of Applied Management at the University of Westminster.

A Chartered Legal Executive (FCILEx) and unregistered barrister, Dr Shakeel specialises in real estate law, landlord and tenant law, residential and commercial conveyancing, property finance, contractual negotiation, and civil litigation. His dual role as both practitioner and academic provides him with a distinctive perspective on the interplay between legal structures, financial systems, and commercial practice in the built environment. He also serves as executive director at SMB Solicitors, an SRA-regulated law firm, where he leads on property transactions, regulatory compliance, and strategic practice development.

Dr Shakeel holds a PhD in law, with a specialism in bankruptcy and human rights. His doctoral research critically examined the balance between debtor protection, property rights, and the regulation of financial services, contributing to ongoing discourse on socio-legal reform and ethical financial practice. A Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), he is committed to embedding experiential and research-informed pedagogies into his teaching. His practice-based approach incorporates case studies, simulations, and real-world scenarios, equipping students with both theoretical insight and practical problem-solving capabilities.

His teaching spans a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate modules, including real estate law, contract and tort law, landlord & tenants, property finance, and professional and commercial practice. As course leader, he plays a central role in curriculum design, programme quality assurance, and professional body alignment (RICS and CIOB), ensuring that graduates are academically robust and industry-ready.

Dr Shakeel’s research interests lie at the intersection of property, finance, and human rights. His current work focuses on landlord and tenant reform, consumer protection in financial services, and the modernisation of key legislative instruments such as the Law of Property Act 1925. He is particularly interested in the ethical implications of business and financial regulation, advocating for socially responsible legal frameworks that promote access to justice and equitable economic participation.

Alongside his academic role, Dr Shakeel continues to offer legal and commercial consultancy services, maintaining strong engagement with the real estate and legal sectors. This ongoing professional practice ensures his academic delivery is responsive to emerging trends, regulatory developments, and the evolving needs of the profession.

With a diverse portfolio of qualifications—including PhD, LLM, MBA, DipCeMAP®, and professional fellowships with SFHEA, FRSA, FCMI, FCILEx, and MCIOB, Dr Shakeel brings a holistic, interdisciplinary, and practice-oriented approach to legal and real estate education. He is passionate about advancing ethical governance, innovation, and professional excellence within the UK’s legal and built environment sectors.

Professional Memberships

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA)

CIOB Chartered Member (MCIOB)

Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)

Fellow of Chartered Institute of Management (FCMI)

Chartered Legal Executive & Conveyancing Practitioner (FCILEx)

Member of the Royal Society of Lincoln’s Inn (Unregistered Barrister)

Member of London Institute of Banking & Finance

Business and Human Rights

Property and Human Rights

Financial Services Laws

Landlords & Tenants 

Bankruptcy and Consumer Rights

Research Ethics