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David Ryland  Partner
+44 (0)20 7111 2252
david.ryland@sjberwin.com

Partner, Real Estate Funds.

David Ryland was admitted in 1981 and became a partner at SJ Berwin in 1988.  Throughout his career he has specialised in commercial property work with particular emphasis on property finance, investment, hotel transactions and development.

David has been ranked in a series of publications as one of the leading lawyers in his area.  David was most recently described in the 2006 edition of Chambers as an "absolutely stellar funds and finance lawyer", a "demi-god", "his mythical status keeps him extraordinarily busy", "unfailingly superb".  David was also described as a "legendary player" in relation to his hotels work.  In the 2005 edition of Legal 500, David received the following comment, "From an intellectual standpoint we have yet to see his equal in the field".  In Chambers 2002-2003 he was described as "one of the brightest guys around", "one of the pioneers", "streets ahead of everyone else", "there is not a better brain in the legal world" and "first class - a leading light".  In Legal 500 2002 he was described as "magnificent property finance partner" and "incredibly clever pioneer of the "now terribly trendy" offshore unit trusts - and other innovative and complex vehicles, several of which have been generally adopted in the marketplace".  In Chambers 2001-2002 he was described as "the best legal mind in the country" and "in a class of his own".

David has also been ranked by Property Week as one of the top 50 movers and shakers in the UK property industry, this survey was based on an analysis of all relevant sectors across the market.  He has also been ranked in surveys in Euromoney one of the world’s leading real estate lawyers and in The Times newspaper in 2003 as one of the foremost real estate lawyers in the country.

David has extensive experience in a wide range of hotel related transactions, including sales purchases, fundings and financings, propco/opco structures and management contracts.  He has also been closely involved in the funding arrangements relating to a number of hotel acquisitions in the UK and abroad.  He acts for a number of major hotel operators and investors.

David has extensive experience of a wide range of property finance mechanisms, including development agreements, joint ventures, forward sale, overage sale, side by side leases, trusts for sale, secured lending and equity kicker agreements.  He is widely recognised as a market leader in investment mechanisms including limited partnerships, offshore trusts, non-resident listed vehicles and transactions to securitise cash flow from properties and maximise tax benefits from property related cash flows.

David has been personally involved in the establishment of property funds for an aggregate value of nearly €13 billion.

He is a member of the RICS, BPF and IPF committee on REITS and is also a member of the wider committee of the derivatives association seeking to generate industry standard documentation for property derivatives.  He has been closely involved in discussions with the Government in relation to REITs legislation.  David also has extensive experience in European property transactions and has acted on a wide range of structured acquisitions through the Eurozone and Central Europe.

He was educated at Dulwich College and Exeter College Oxford where he obtained a double first in Mods and Greats.