Legal news: Nabarro’s £150m deal; Mills & Reeve’s rising star; Family move for Blackstone
COMMERCIAL law firm Nabarro has advised FTSE 250 income-focused real estate investment trust Redefine International on a proposed placing of up to £150m to raise capital to finance Tranche 2 of the AEGON UK Portfolio acquisition.
Tranche 2 of the acquisition comprises nine properties – including 201 Deansgate in Manchester – at a purchase price of £201m.
Redefine International has announced it will post a prospectus in connection with the proposed placing.
Redefine owns a geographically diverse portfolio of real estate assets within the retail, commercial and hotel sectors valued well in excess of £1bn. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange with a secondary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
Leading the Nabarro Manchester team was corporate partner Howard Gill assisted by corporate senior associate Jack Shepherd and associates Sarah Etherington and Nick Wardle.
Gill said: “Having supported the Redefine team in their £490m acquisition of the Aegon UK Property Fund Portfolio last year, which includes the iconic 201 Deansgate building, we are delighted to help the company in its proposed secondary fundraising to finance Tranche 2 of the portfolio and take the next step forward in its evolution.”
::
CHRIS Ross, partner in the corporate team at the Manchester office of national firm Mills & Reeve has been hailed as a rising star in the deals sector by an industry magazine.
Ross, who became a partner in 2010, is one of only three partners from Manchester firms (the others are Kieran Toal from Shoosmiths and Andrew Phillips from Pinsent Masons) to be ranked as an ‘up and coming M&A partner’ in Legal Week’s annual ‘rising stars’ guide which looks at the new generation of dealmakers making their mark.
He said: “I am thrilled to be named as an upcoming M&A partner in Manchester. The region has a number of excellent corporate lawyers and it is fantastic to be profiled in the guide.
“For me, deal making is all about communicating with clients and other advisers – being willing to jump on a train and sit down with a client wherever they are – then collaborating with the right people across our offices to get the best outcome for the client.”
::
HALE-based Blackstone Solicitors has added another string to its bow, with the appointment of Alison Barnett, asa a partner and head of a new family law team.
Blackstone now offers litigation, property and family and now has 14 staff.
Alison Barnett was previously with Darbys and before that Pannone.
Founder and managing director, Emma Nawaz said: “Since setting up Blackstone I have always believed that with the right team we could expand and become a full service law firm practice. The decision to add a property department has proved extremely successful.
“This further expansion to encompass family law is very exciting and I am absolutely delighted to welcome such a respected and professional lawyer as Alison. She is tenacious, passionate and extremely well respected.”
