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).
England - London • Real estate
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
‘Proactive and solutions-oriented’ US firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher is adept in property acquisitions and disposals, development, financing, and joint ventures. ’Trusted partner’ Alan Samson leads the team, and advises on the acquisition of real estate loan portfolios. Claibourne Harrison acts for private equity investors across a breadth of sectors, while Jeremy Kenley focuses on real estate private equity. Isabel Berger caters to management equity and leveraged buyouts, as well as minority and majority investments.
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The team is an excellent balance of senior strategic advice and detail-oriented thorough work product.'
'The working team is excellent at digesting large amounts of information, and swiftly identifying the critical business points for the deal team to debate.'
'GDC is proactive, process driving, and the most solutions-oriented firm I've worked with. GDC highlights issues that weren't on the radar, and can swiftly prioritise issues so that you spend the right amount of time based on impact.’
‘Alan Samson is a trusted partner, aggressive when necessary, thoughtful, strategic, and can always help us pick our battles.'
- 'Claibourne Harrison is an extremely quick thinker with consistent thorough analysis, she is an absolute expert at simplifying and explaining complex concepts in clear and precise language so that we can highlight the issues.’
‘Alan Samson is second to none in terms of experience and knowledge of the sector.'
Key clients
- Accuride Corporation
- Apollo Global Management
- Ares Management
- Blackstone
- Brookfield
- Cale Street Partners
- Centerbridge
- Davidson Kempner Capital Management
- Deutsche Bank AG
- Fremont Realty Capital, LP
- Groupe Sofidy
- KKR
- Meadow Partners
- Nuveen Real Estate
- Oaktree Capital Management
- Realty Income Corporation
- Related Companies
- Strategic Value Partners
- Tishman Speyer
- Welltower
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Next Generation Partners
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.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Alan Samson