News & Events | News

Thursday 10th January 2008

European law firm SJ Berwin LLP’s real estate department has advised The Crown Estate on a major property swap in the West End valued at circa £100 million.

The exchange with The Pollen Estate, which includes thirteen properties, leaves The Crown Estate with control of two blocks, bordered by Regent Street, New Burlington Street, New Burlington Place and New Burlington Mews.

This gives The Crown Estate further opportunity to consolidate their ownership of property on Regent Street, allowing plans for mixed use developments for up to 37, 200 sq m (400,000 sq ft) of built area to include retail, office and residential development. 

Of the thirteen properties, The Pollen Estate received four which they add to their Savile Row portfolio further expanding their substantial investment in the Mayfair area.

The SJ Berwin team was led by partner Helen Willett, assisted by associates Helen Sills, Katheryn Walters and Annette Coward. William Naunton, partner, Eversheds LLP advised The Pollen Estate, assisted by partner Lorna Wilkinson and associates Robert Pollok and Simon Burrage.

For further information please contact:

Helen Willett on +44 (0) 20 7111 2397, email helen.willett@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 as 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.