John is a Partner in the Commercial Real Estate team within the Real Estate department, with extensive experience advising on complex real estate law matters, including large-scale developments, pre-lets, acquisitions and disposals, and finance work. He has significant experience advising on major developments with a public transport interface and has recently been advising several very active European funds on inbound UK investments.
John has been involved in numerous high-profile projects, and is qualified to practise in England and Wales, New Zealand, and Australia.
The Commercial Real Estate team advises investors, developers, asset managers, corporate occupiers, and private individuals on property transactions across sectors including residential, retail, logistics, office, life sciences, hospitality, and mixed-use assets. We provide sector-specific legal expertise and support clients on transactions involving sustainability, regeneration projects, and the use of PropTech for data-driven decision-making.
Key Experience
- Advising a major public transport authority on the redevelopment of several key London Underground stations and their interface with prominent developments including Paddington Cube and Paddington Bakerloo Line entrance, the K1 development and Knightsbridge Underground Station, Belgrove House and Kings Cross Station and Liverpool Street Station.
- Advising a leading global retail and real estate group on the pre-letting of a Stratford office scheme to a significant UK government department and the subsequent circa £250 million forward fund and corporate sale of the same office scheme to a prominent pension fund.
- Advising a prominent international law firm on its agreements for lease, leases and subletting of 265,000 square feet of office space in a high-profile central London development.
- Advising a prominent private equity real estate company and their JV equity partner on the £180m acquisition of a 183,000 square foot office building on High Holborn, London.
- Advising several French SCPIs on their entry into the UK market and on several acquisitions across various sectors including office, retail, leisure and hotels.
- Advising a FTSE250 builders merchant on several matters regarding its property estate including the sale and leaseback of several trade counters and the sale and redevelopment of multiple prime London sites.
Career History
Partner, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Of Counsel, Herbert Smith Freehills
Senior Associate, Herbert Smith Freehills
Senior Associate, King & Wood Mallesons
Associate, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Associate, Addleshaw Goddard
Solicitor, Russell McVeagh
University of Auckland, LLB and BA (Psychology)