Roger advises mainly on big-ticket property transactions involving complex cross-border structures and on real estate M&A, JVs and restructuring.
Roger has acted on several key transactions and restructurings in the UK retail space.
His clients are typically investors (particularly private equity and sovereign wealth funds), property companies and corporates.
Roger has undertaken secondments to KKR, Barclays Bank and the firm’s Paris office.
Roger was singled out for special commendation at the FT Innovative Lawyer Awards, in the category Driving Value - Law firms and legal service providers, for his work for Mount Street Mortgage Servicing on the debt restructure and sale of CityPoint Tower. This deal was also shortlisted for Real Estate Team of the Year at The Lawyer Awards 2017.
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Roger's experience includes advising:
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Davidson Kempner & Global Mutual on the sale of the corporate structure which holds “Project Chariot” (a portfolio of c.40 properties across the UK, which are let to NCP as car parks).
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Cerberus and Arrow Capital Partners’ SIRE platform on the acquisition of 35 logistics assets in Germany and the Netherlands from Europa Capital.
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Cale Street Partners on its joint venture and acquisition of a 50 per cent stake in the Intu Derby shopping centre, implications of intu's administration, recent buy-out of the remaining 50 per cent and migration of asset management.
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Macquarie Real Estate on their acquisition of the Goodstone Living Platform, by way of the acquisition of shares in an existing joint venture company and units in two existing Jersey Unit Trusts, and future joint venture and capital raising arrangements to aggressively grow the business.
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Macquarie Real Estate on its acquisition of a stake in EDGE Real Estate B.V. and its future strategic partnership with EDGE’s founder.
- Realty Income Corporation on a number of retail park and warehouse acquisitions via offshore and corporate structures.
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Oxford University on the funding and leaseback arrangements with L&G for the new Life and Mind Building, as part of the ten-year joint venture programme with L&G to develop research facilities and student and staff accommodation at the University, which Freshfields also advised on.
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The administrators of Debenhams in relation to all aspects of its premises including consensual rent negotiations with landlords.
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In relation to Arcadia, House of Fraser and Debenhams' CVAs.
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Steinhoff in relation to the sale of its UK retail business including Harveys Furniture and Bensons for Beds.
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The administrators of Brighthouse in relation to their store portfolio.
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Davidson Kempner on its acquisition and financing of the Chariot portfolio of NCP operated car parks from Blackstone for approximately £500m and continuing advice to the business on rent discussions and related matters during the Covid-19 crisis.
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Four Seasons Health Care in relation to its premises.
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QMH on the sale of the Queens Bilderberg (Nederland) hotels portfolio to First Sponsor Group.
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TPG and Patron Capital on the sale on the sale of the Merin office platform in the Netherlands to Canadian REIT Dream Global for €622m.
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Cerberus on the €300m refinancing of the Monza office portfolio and disposal of assets into the Project Sling listed REIT established by Cromwell Properties.
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AXA IM – Real Assets on the acquisition of a logistics property portfolio from Gramercy Property Europe for circa €1bn.
- Mount Street Mortgage Servicing as special servicer and security trustee in respect of £535m of debt secured on CityPoint tower, London and on the sale to Brookfield for a sum sufficient to repay secured liabilities.
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Solicitor, England and Wales
Education
- Downing College, Cambridge, UK (MA (hons) in law)
- BPP Law School, London, UK (legal practice course, with distinction)
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