Real Estate Litigation and Finance

Today, businesses are asked to complete increasingly complex real estate finance transactions. Thankfully, our Real Estate Finance team combines years of industry experience with a flexible cost base to provide fast, to-the-point and cost effective advice to clients.

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The legal landscape is increasingly complex when it comes to real estate finance. The many different types of disputes and legal scenarios that can arise from real estate acquisition and proceedings are classified as litigation. Our real estate team can lean on their expertise, so you don’t have to take time away from your usual commercial affairs.

As an international legal business with specialists in a number of key jurisdictions, we have the size and resource required to undertake real estate finance transactions of all sizes and complexities.

Our Commercial Property Finance expertise allows us to simplify and streamline the process for every client, taking time to understand transactional needs and the challenges presented across a wide range of sectors.

Our Real Estate Finance team has particular, practical experience advising those active in the following sectors:

Real Estate
Financial Services
Public Sector
Food and Hospitality
Healthcare and Retail

Clients value the way that our specialist Banking and Real Estate Finance teams work together when advising both lenders and borrowers, including:

All major UK clearing banks
Challenger banks
Insurers/life funds
Alternative lenders
International banks and investors
Family offices
Pension and sovereign wealth funds
Social housing providers
Local authorities.

We have the size and resource required to undertake real estate finance transactions of all sizes and complexities for real estate investment, joint ventures and fund-raising.

Our real estate finance services include:

Bilateral
Bridging
Debt restructuring
Development
Enforcement
Mezzanine
Senior
Syndicated

We work closely with our specialist Real Estate Tax team who have considerable experience dealing with complex real estate transactions and capital projects.

Our lawyers provide tax efficiency advice to institutional fund managers, smaller private funds and several REITs on matters related to complex structuring for investment, in the UK and cross-border, as well as more straightforward acquisitions and disposals of real estate assets or real estate-owing vehicles.

Testimonials

“Responsive and forward looking", the Real Estate Finance team at DWF is adept at acting for bank lenders and handling work including development finance and portfolio funding, with a particular focus on student accommodation and hotels. The team also benefits from the firm’s national presence. The 'excellent' Simon Elphick and Brendan Slack lead the practice, and Iain Shurwood and Stewart Anderson are also team members of note. Capable, engaging lawyers whose advice is received on time and budget. Longstanding and knowledgeable property team with wide market experience. ”

Legal 500, 2021

“Capable, engaging lawyers whose advice is received on time and budget”

Legal 500, 2021

Advising NatWest and Virgin Money who jointly underwrote a £105m loan for Scape Living to develop a new 714-bedroom student residence in Hammersmith. The site is currently under development, through a forward funding agreement between Scape Living and Dominus Group. NatWest and Virgin Money

Development financing in respect of the Inzovu Mall project in Rwanda.  DWF advised the French developer Groupe Duval on the deal which is a step towards providing the commercial infrastructure required to meet demand within Rwanda. The completed project will include a shopping mall, hotel, offices, and co-working spaces, as well as leisure areas. The facilities are provided by IFC and Proparco. Groupe Duval

Acting in respect of the real estate transactional support (including construction and planning) to Starwood in respect of a £130m loan facility to ICG relating to the refinance of a sale and leaseback of seven Morrisons logistics properties in England and Scotland. Starwood