News | Real Estate

Monday 11th December 2006

Corporate and commercial law firm SJ Berwin LLP’s real estate department has advised Quintain Estates and Development PLC on the exchange of an Option Agreement with the City of London Corporation for the redevelopment of 37/41 and 36 Gracechurch Street in the City of London, following the restructuring of the property interests in the two properties owned by Quintain.

SJ Berwin then advised on the sale of Quintain’s interests in the site, with the benefit of the Option Agreement, to an investment vehicle sponsored by Arab Investments Limited for £24.85 million.

Patrick Ryan, SJ Berwin Real Estate Legal Director, advised Quintain, assisted by Madonna Kinsey.

Alan Bennetts of the City of London Corporation’s legal department acted for the Corporation on the Option Agreement.  Andrew Boulton, real estate partner of Davies Arnold Cooper, assisted by Vicky Banks, advised Arab Investments Limited.

For further information please contact:

Patrick Ryan on +44 (0)20 7111 2482, email patrick.ryan@sjberwin.com  or Karen Roberts on +44 (0)20 7111 2578, email karen.roberts@sjberwin.com     

• On 1 June 2005 SJ Berwin LLP, an English limited liability partnership, took over the business of the SJ Berwin general partnership.  SJ Berwin LLP or an affiliated undertaking has an office in Berlin, Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Milan, Munich and Paris.
  
  
• SJ Berwin LLP was named ‘UK Firm of the Year’ at the 2005 Legal Week Awards.  The award recognised SJ Berwin’s five years of international expansion and its involvement in a series of high quality deals.
  
  
• SJ Berwin's Real Estate Division totals 118 staff of which 21 are partners in London and 50 associates, encompassing the disciplines of Commercial Real Estate, Construction, Planning & Environment, Property Litigation and Real Estate Funds.  In addition, there are 3 dedicated real estate tax partners in London and 1 dedicated real estate partner in Paris.  There is an increasing emphasis on cross firm activity with related areas of Banking and Corporate and with the international offices.  The division acts for blue chip clients including British Land, Royal Bank of Scotland, the Hilton Group, Brixton plc, AXA, The Crown Estate, Marks & Spencer and Gazeley.
  
  
• The Real Estate Team is Legal Business Real Estate Team of the Year 2005.  It was also named "Real Estate Team of the Year" in the Lawyer Magazine Awards 2004, following its advice on the RBS/Canary Wharf transaction the highest-value property investment transaction in the UK in 2004.
  
  
• Revenue from Real Estate represents approximately 21% of the firm's total revenue in London.