About

Team size: 13
Major law firms used: Addleshaw Goddard, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith Freehills, Hogan Lovells, Jones Day, Mayer Brown, Simmons & Simmons

Brona McKeown joined FTSE 100 real estate company British Land as GC and company secretary in January 2018. She is the company’s second GC, replacing Elaine Williams, and came to the company following nearly four years as GC of The Co-operative Bank.

McKeown had been the bank’s first legal head, having previously been GC for corporate at Barclays, and was credited for her role guiding the bank through a variety of high-profile and complex corporate events that culminated in a £700m recapitalisation in mid-2017. She says she joined British Land because it was the right time to leave the Co-op and because British Land operated in an industry with a tangible output. She believes the core skills of being a GC are transferable, irrespective of industry knowledge.

‘You can touch and feel what British Land does. One day there’s not a building there and then after a period of time there’s either a revamped building or a different one. That’s quite satisfying.’
She leads a team of 13 across company secretarial, legal and GDPR, including four lawyers overall. She was the only lawyer when she first joined, but as is typical with many real estate companies, the legal function is unlikely to get any bigger. A highlight transaction includes the mid-2018 sale of 5 Broadgate to Hong Kong-based CK Asset Holdings for £1bn.

The real estate and retail sectors are facing big challenges, she says. People are changing the way they live and work while corporations want more flexibility, all of which is altering the way people use space. ‘People are shopping online more and real estate can help brands both showcase to customers and deliver orders efficiently, whether that transaction is online or offline. There’s a lot said about the death of the high street and this latest disruption is just the latest chapter. There’s lots to play for in the retail space, but it’s a tough market.’