Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Andy Bruce
Hall of fameLinklaters LLP
Andy leads the firm’s Global Real Estate practice. He has extensive experience in the acquisition, financing, development, letting and disposal of all types of commercial real estate both in the UK and Continental Europe. Work highlights Ranked in the Hall of Fame for Real Estate in Legal 500, Andy has led on many major real estate transactions. Highlights include advising: Development transactions: Lendlease on: its joint venture with Starwood Capital to acquire the £3.5bn Silvertown Quays, London urban renewal project; the £1.9bn Birmingham Smithfield City Centre development covering 17 hectares; and the £2bn ongoing redevelopment of Elephant & Castle, London, comprising 300,000 sqm of new build and mixed use development. Shuaa Group on several projects including its £370m acquisition and subsequent development of New Scotland Yard, London. Investment deals: Ho Bee Land on their £718m acquisition of The Scalpel landmark office building in the City of London. A major pan-European core fund as it expands across Europe. a consortium member on its investment in a €6.4 billion global portfolio of approximately 900 hotels. Lettings: Glencore on the pre-let of their HQ premises in Hanover Square. Sale and leasebacks: several clients on sale and leaseback transactions (including leasehold liability transfers and virtual assignments), including a major financial institution on a large multi-jurisdictional structured sale and leaseback.
Jeremy Clay
Hall of fameMayer Brown
Jeremy Clay is a partner in Mayer Brown's London office. He currently heads the firm's Global Real Estate Group and serves on Mayer Brown's Management Committee. Jeremy represents investors, developers, banks and corporate clients in all kinds of structured development, investment and finance transactions.
Hall of fameGibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Alan Samson is an English and New York qualified partner based in the firm’s London office. He co-chairs the firm’s real estate group and heads the European real estate private equity team. He joined the firm in May 2000 as the firm’s first English law partner. Alan has more than 30 years’ experience in all aspects of commercial real estate and real estate finance, including corporate and investment property acquisitions and disposals, acquisition financing and joint ventures. His practice has recently been heavily focused on the acquisition of real estate loan portfolios (whole loans, senior and/or junior notes and structured pieces) from financial institutions, distressed/vulture fund formation, recapitalisations, mezzanine loan origination and debt restructurings and workouts. His client base is largely made up of U.S. and European financial investors (primarily opportunity and private equity funds).
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Gideon Dabby-Joory
Fladgate LLP
I specialise in real estate investment and complex development work. My expertise spans property finance, asset management and landlord and tenant. I act for a wide range of clients. These include private equity real estate funds, institutional investors, property companies, banks, family offices, operational businesses and entrepreneurs. Many of the clients for whom I act are based overseas. Clients tend to regard me as a trusted advisor and often turn to me for advice which is more commercial in nature and outside my stated specialist area. This is a true compliment and is something that I really enjoy as it enables me not just to avoid thinking as a lawyer but also to be part of the client’s key commercial decision making process. The investment and development asset classes I deal with range from offices and business parks to hotels and leisure taking in specialist ones such as urban markets and cultural as well as heritage landmarks. In recent years, I have also been involved with what in the US is referred to as “multi-family” and in the UK is termed the PRS and BTR sectors. Whilst much of what I do involves acting for investors or landlords, this is not my sole focus and I also act for business occupiers, advising them on their space requirements and expansion programmes. These include headquarters’ relocations, acting for the providers of shared office space and advising high-end retail occupiers.
Nick Doffman
Mishcon de Reya LLP
Nick is a Real Estate Partner with more than 30 years' experience in dealing with all aspects of commercial property. He has expertise in structuring and negotiating real estate acquisitions and sales, as well as advising on development and landlord and tenant matters. A significant proportion of Nick's practice is focused on international inward investment, acting on high-value UK property transactions for overseas investors. He has strong connections across the Far East region, particularly within Hong Kong and Singapore, and a well-developed understanding of the business culture in these areas. In addition, he has advised many well-known UK institutional and entrepreneurial companies such as Berkeley Group, Capital & Counties Properties PLC, Investec, Mansford, Matterhorn Capital, TK Maxx and O&H Properties.
Chris Harvey
Mayer Brown
Chris Harvey is a partner in Mayer Brown's London office and head of the Real Estate Investment Team. Chris has extensive experience of acting for investors, funds, property companies, banks and developers in all kinds of investment, development and finance transactions. In particular, Chris has extensive experience of acting for Asian, US and European investors investing into the UK real estate market. Chris joined Mayer Brown in 2012 and was recently nominated by Times Online as one of the top ten future stars of the City.
Stephen Hughes
Mishcon de Reya LLP
Stephen is Chair of the Real Estate department with over 20 years' experience. His expertise lies in commercial real estate work including high value portfolio acquisitions and disposals, development work, joint ventures and structuring. He acts for a broad range of UK and overseas clients including Delancey, Capital & Counties Properties PLC (Capco), Almacantar and The London Business School. His transactions often lead to his involvement with a cross-departmental team providing advice on associated tax, finance and corporate issues. Recent matters include advising Delancey, Qatari Diar, APG and Oxford Properties on the purchase and long-term management of East Village in east London. The Village, adjacent to the Olympic Park, currently has over 2,800 homes (housing 6,000 people) with around 2,000 more homes planned. Stephen also acts for Capital & Counties Properties PLC in relation to its Covent Garden portfolio.
Mayer Brown
Caroline Humble is a partner in the Real Estate practice of the London office. She has extensive experience acting for clients on high profile and high value investment transactions and development projects. Caroline also represents a number of private equity real estate clients. Caroline has an excellent reputation for providing strategic advice to clients on complex transactions and development projects.
Michael James
Paul Hastings LLP
Michael James is a partner in the Real Estate department of the Paul Hastings London office. Mr. James’ practice focuses on corporate real estate transactions. He has experience in several areas including structured acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures, real estate finance, fund investments, and hotel acquisitions and operations. Mr. James has developed a leading reputation in the corporate real estate space and is the “go-to” adviser for a number of major European clients.Mr. James has significant experience based on cross-border structures and transactions involving jurisdictions such as Luxembourg, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Jersey.
Rob Thompson
Dentons
Rob is a partner in Dentons' Real Estate group. He specialises in investment and development work, complex corporate real estate and real estate finance transactions both in the UK and abroad, advising in the office, retail, high end residential, hotel, student housing and logistics sectors. Rob acts for a range of clients including UK and international property companies (listed and private), private equity houses, real estate funds, private family offices (both in the UK and overseas), banks and large corporates.
Roger Thornton
Maples Teesdale LLP
Roger is Head of Commercial Real Estate at Maples Teesdale and is a key member of the Offices and Retail sector teams. Roger has extensive experience in investment, sales and purchases including portfolio acquisitions and disposals, commercial property development, acting for developers and landowners and commercial property asset management, including new lettings, lease renewals and lease regearings.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Barbara Beasley
Farrer & Co
Barbara advises a broad range of corporate, institutional and private clients on commercial property matters, focussing on acquisitions and disposals, landlord and tenant matters and general commercial property investment.
Claibourne Harrison
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Clai Harrison is a dual-qualified (admitted as a solicitor in England & Wales and licensed by the State Bar of Texas) corporate partner based in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s London office, focusing on private equity, real estate private equity and venture capital / growth investment transactions. He represents private equity/investment firms, corporates and other institutional investors in the UK, across Europe and the United States on private equity and real estate private equity transactions, corporate real estate M&A, joint ventures, majority-control or minority investments, divestitures, carve-outs and loan portfolio acquisitions.
Stephen Nicolas
Paul Hastings LLP
Stephen Nicolas is a partner in the corporate Real Estate practice of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm's London office. His practice focuses on corporate real estate, including acquisitions, disposals (direct and indirect), joint ventures, and management agreements (both hotel and general asset). Mr. Nicolas has experience advising both UK-based and international clients operating across a wide variety of jurisdictions (including USA).
Leading associates
Rising stars with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Edward Meadowcroft
Paul Hastings LLP
Edward Meadowcroft is an associate in the Real Estate practice of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm's London office. His practice consists of advising on the full spectrum of documentation across the real estate sector, including advising on acquisitions and disposals, restructurings, joint ventures and management agreements. Mr. Meadowcroft has experience in advising both UK and international clients operating across a variety of jurisdictions and regularly works on significant cross border mandates.
Matthew Peters
Paul Hastings LLP
Matthew Peters is an associate in the Real Estate practice of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm's London office. His practice focuses on corporate real estate including corporate and investment property acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures, and corporate restructurings and reorganisations. Mr. Peters has experience of advising both U.K. and international clients operating across a variety of jurisdictions and regularly works on significant cross border transactions.