Linklaters LLP

Real estate.

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 internationally.

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

Several high-profile Middle Eastern investors and developers on their development schemes in the UK and the Middle East.

Investment deals:

Obayashi on the £140m+ purchase of 60 Gracechurch Street, London and its proposed development.

City Developments Limited on their £395m purchase of St. Katherine Docks, a 23-acre landmark mixed use scheme.

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:

Ramsbury as landlord/developer on the pre-let of 220,000sqft office space to accountancy firm BDO as its new London HQ.

Glencore as tenant 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.

Partner since 2005, Head of UK Real Estate since January 2012 and Global Head of Real Estate since January 2017.

Andy is a Trustee and Chair of Barts Charity, a fantastic charity whose vision is to achieve life-changing improvements to health for the people of East London.

He is also a member of the Land Law Committee of the City of London Law Society, a representative body for City solicitors.

Reading University (LLB (Hons) First Class).