Real estate.

Ian leads the Sainsbury’s real estate team nationally and is the lead real estate partner for Threadneedle and Skanska in the Leeds office. General: involved in all aspects of commercial property work including sales and purchases (especially for institutional investors such as Threadneedle and VALAD), complex development projects (including acting for regional developers such as GMI Property Group and Horncastle Group Plc), acting for public bodies (such as The HCA and Leeds City Council) and landlord and tenant work (particularly in the retail sector acting for household names such Sainsbury’s, HOBBS and LEGO). Particular expertise in the food store investment market. Specialism: retail/Sainsbury’s/food store investment/high-value sale and leasebacks – recognised expert. Has developed an outstanding practice acting for Sainsbury’s where he has twice been nominated for their panel lawyer of the year and has recently been recognised as ‘exceptional amongst our panel lawyers’. Sainsbury’s have told Addleshaw Goddard that they routinely instruct Ian on more complex, higher value transactions and that they regard him as the ‘go to’ man for these projects. This is best demonstrated by the way Ian has developed the firm’s role acting for Sainsbury’s Property Investments (SPI). SPI recognise Ian as their principal advisor for sale and leasebacks and one of the leading experts in this niche field. These transactions are strategically important in raising capital for reinvestment and need to be turned around quickly whilst balancing investment value against operational flexibility. Ian’s work in shaping their lease has earned him a reputation for innovation (with one senior SPI executive describing Ian as ‘the most innovative lawyer I have worked with’). Credited by SPI as helping them ‘move forward the industry standard lease, not just for Sainsbury’s, but for the food store industry as a whole’. Other retail clients include HOBBS and LEGO and he is a key member of the firm’s national retail and consumer team.

Ehenside, Cleator Moor, Cumbria (GCSEs); St Benedict’s, Whitehaven, Cumbria (A-Levels); College of Law, York (1998-99 LPC (Distinction)); Durham University (1995-98 Law (LLB 2:1 Hons)).