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Commercial real estate finance
Whether you are financing a commercial real asset, restructuring debt, or planning an acquisition, our team is here to support you.
Commercial real estate demands more than capital, it requires legal expertise, timing, and trusted execution. At Withers, we help lenders and investors structure finance for income-generating assets across office buildings, hotels, logistics hubs, retail spaces, industrial sites, hospitality venues, and mixed-use developments.
As part of a global practice, we are adept at managing cross-border transactions and ensuring your property investments are structured in the most tax-efficient way. Our clients include individual investors, banks, financiers, and developers with substantial portfolios across a range of property assets.
How we can help you
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Investment finance: for stabilized, income-generating commercial assets
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Acquisition finance: for new commercial property purchases
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Refinancing: to unlock capital or reduce the cost of debt
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Structured finance: including mezzanine and complex ownership arrangements
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Cross-border secured lending: to unlock international opportunities
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Distressed asset recovery: legal support for enforcement and restructuring
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Hospitality finance: debt and equity solutions for hotels, restaurants, and leisure assets
- Charity and not-for-profit property finance: secured lending for public and philanthropic projects.
Our clients
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Family offices
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Private banks
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Debt and credit funds
- Real estate investors and developers
- Charities and non-profit organizations
What sets Withers apart
- Hands-on, senior-led advice: we stay close to the deal from term sheet to post-completion, integrating with your team and moving at your speed.
- Lender and borrower insight: we have advised across the table, anticipating concerns, shortening negotiations and protecting outcomes.
- Private wealth alignment: as a firm built around advising private capital, we work seamlessly with trustees, advisors, and internal family structures.
- Institutional-grade knowledge: we work with transaction teams and credit of private banks and debt funds to find solutions to ensure a successful transaction.
- Global transaction capability: our team is experienced in managing cross-border deals and securing titles across key jurisdictions.
- Sector-specific insight: we bring deep sector knowledge to every transaction.
Track record
Major UK shopping centre acquisition
Advised a high profile property fund to acquire 5 shopping centres across the UK for a total value of for £226 million
Advised banks and borrowers in Singapore on project financing
We have advised banks and borrowers in Singapore on project financing for the development of hotel/office/shopping complexes, residential estates, highways, pipelines, petrochemical plants and other industrial developments, and financing for the acquisition of hotels, hospitals, plantations, commercial and industrial buildings and complexes and the takeover of companies, secured against all kinds of assets and guarantees, in jurisdictions such as Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, United Kingdom, Vietnam, and others.
International school in Singapore
We acted for a bank in the financing to an international school in Singapore for the construction of an additional building to its existing campus.
SGD$87.56 million state land acquisition
We acted for an international school in the financing of SG$87.56 million from DBS to acquire state land, and construct and develop a new school building in Singapore.
€123.5 million loan to finance a hydroelectric power plant
We represented a multilateral agency on a €123.5 million loan to Hrvatska Elektroprivreda DD to finance the construction of a 68MW Ombla hydroelectric power plant at the Rijeka Dubrovacka Bay near Dubrovnik.
Construction and funding arrangements for rural anaerobic digestion facilities
We advised two developers in connection with their construction and funding arrangements for rural anaerobic digestion facilities. Both contracts required the preparation and negotiation of bespoke EPC contract terms, direct agreements and other supporting documents.
Advised banks and borrowers in Singapore on project financing
We have advised banks and borrowers in Singapore on project financing for the development of hotel/office/shopping complexes, residential estates, highways, pipelines, petrochemical plants and other industrial developments, and financing for the acquisition of hotels, hospitals, plantations, commercial and industrial buildings and complexes and the takeover of companies, secured against all kinds of assets and guarantees, in jurisdictions such as Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, United Kingdom, Vietnam, and others.
International school in Singapore
We acted for a bank in the financing to an international school in Singapore for the construction of an additional building to its existing campus.
SGD$87.56 million state land acquisition
We acted for an international school in the financing of SG$87.56 million from DBS to acquire state land, and construct and develop a new school building in Singapore.
The financing of a steel galvanising plant
We acted for a major Indian bank in financing a steel galvanising plant in Nigeria.
The financing of a steel galvanising plant
We acted for a major Indian bank in financing a steel galvanising plant in Nigeria.
Major UK shopping centre acquisition
Advised a high profile property fund to acquire 5 shopping centres across the UK for a total value of for £226 million
Advised banks and borrowers in Singapore on project financing
We have advised banks and borrowers in Singapore on project financing for the development of hotel/office/shopping complexes, residential estates, highways, pipelines, petrochemical plants and other industrial developments, and financing for the acquisition of hotels, hospitals, plantations, commercial and industrial buildings and complexes and the takeover of companies, secured against all kinds of assets and guarantees, in jurisdictions such as Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, United Kingdom, Vietnam, and others.
€123.5 million loan to finance a hydroelectric power plant
We represented a multilateral agency on a €123.5 million loan to Hrvatska Elektroprivreda DD to finance the construction of a 68MW Ombla hydroelectric power plant at the Rijeka Dubrovacka Bay near Dubrovnik.
Representation for €50 million worth of sustainable energy projects
Withers have represented a multilateral agency as lead international counsel on €50 million worth of sustainable energy projects. This representation included the securing of loans to companies in Albania, Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia, Macedonia and Croatia for the development of hydro power plants, a biomass plant, and to support energy efficiency improvements.
£15 million estate purchase
We advised on the purchase of a £15 million estate comprising diverse assets including a private water supply.
First Corporate Shipping Limited
We represented First Corporate Shipping Limited on a financing of construction at the Bristol Port in the UK led by BHF Bank, and also in connection with facilities construction finance by users of Bristol Port.
EPC contract advice to retro-fit coal fired power stations with 'green' technology
We advised an American specialist engineering contractor on EPC contracts to retro-fit existing coal fired power stations with 'green' technology. These contracts were based on various FIDIC, NEC3 and bespoke terms. We also offered additional advice on joint venture arrangements with other specialist contractors.
Financing of acquisition of 93.5% stake in Grand Hotel Europe
We acted as counsel to IFC in connection with the financing of the acquisition by Orient Express Hotels of a 93.5% stake in St. Petersburg's historical Grand Hotel Europe. The deal marked the largest single property acquisition in Russia at that time and was the first ever acquisition financing by IFC in Russia.
USD$43 million secured syndicated loan for Alini Investment BV
We acted as counsel to a syndicate of banks lead-arranged by ZAO Raiffeisenbank Austria with respect to a USD$43 million secured syndicated loan facility to Alini Investment BV.
The proceeds of this loan were used for the construction and development of an office-center in central Moscow.
Our team
Jon Bond
Partner | London
Sergio Anania
Partner | Milan
Patricia M. Lee
Partner | New York
Rosa Ertze
Partner | New York
Guan Feng Chen
Consultant | Singapore
Insight
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Hotels and hospitality
The hotel and hospitality sector is becoming ever more specialized. Our significant experience helps us to ensure that the operators we work with get the best value out of their transactions. Find Out More
Private companies
As a private company, you need reliable, efficient service. As the only global law firm focused on private capital, we are here to help you protect your interests at every stage of the lifecycle. Find Out MoreHow else can we help?
We offer a full range of services to individuals and businesses. Find out how we can help you solve challenges and maximize opportunities.
Get in touch
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