News & Events | News

Monday 3rd March 2008

European law firm SJ Berwin LLP’s real estate division has advised long standing client, British Land, on the sale of two Debenhams department stores worth a combined total of £22 million. 

The first at Luton, was sold to The Mall for £10,750,000 and the second, at Winchester, was sold to Deramore Holdings Limited for £11,250,000.  Both stores were acquired by British Land in 2005 as part of a sale and lease-back portfolio of 23 stores, which SJ Berwin also acted on.   

On both deals associate Jason Tann led the SJ Berwin teams assisted by associates Jo Taylor on Luton and Louise Tainton on Winchester.  Olswang partner Tim Westhead, assisted by associate Mellissa Jeffries advised The Mall and John England of Mishcon de Reya advised Deramore Holdings.

For further information please contact:

Jason Tann on +44 (0) 20 7111 2915, email jason.tann@sjberwin.com  or Jodie Yates on +44 (0) 20 7111 5907, email jodie.yates@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, Paris and Turin. 
  
  
• SJ Berwin LLP was named ‘UK Firm of the Year’ at the Global Chambers Awards 2007 and Private Equity Team of the Year at the Financial News Legal Awards 2007.  
  
  
• SJ Berwin's Real Estate Division totals 150 staff  in London of which 23 are partners (3 of which are tax partners), and over 70 associates, encompassing the disciplines of Commercial Real Estate, Construction, Planning & Environment, Property Litigation, Real Estate Funds and Tax.  In addition there are 3 partners specialising in real estate in our Continental European offices.  There is an increasing emphasis on cross departmental activity with related areas of Banking and Corporate and also cross border / pan European real estate work, with our European 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 was 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.  It was shortlisted Real Estate team of the Year in this year’s British Legal awards. 
  
  
• Revenue from Real Estate represents approximately 21% of the firm's total revenue in London.