Real estate lawyers

Successfully acted for an opportunistic private investment fund in a distressed acquisition deal where the fund acquired S$20 million non-performing loan of a Singapore-based hospitality company and we assisted in the eventual enforcement of a mortgage over the property and distressed sale of the borrower's main hospitality real estate asset.

Advised PAG in all facets of the acquisition, development, leasing and financing of a hotel located in Kyoto.

Advised PAG on its negotiation of a management agreement and related documentation for Fairfield by Marriott hotel located in Osaka.

Acted for a consortium comprising SGX-listed Datapulse Technology Ltd and Pam Holdings I, in the S$235 million acquisition of the Bay Hotel Singapore (now rebranded as Travelodge Harbourfront Singapore).

Acted for Soho House in relation to a negotiation for a grant of lease from Ever Crown Development Limited , the landlord to operate, inter alia, a club, a hotel, a gymnasium and a "Soho Works" workspace in respect to a site at Hong Kong.

We are advising Pro-invest Hotels Group on its Cayman fund, developing hotels in Australia and New Zealand under InterContinental Hotel’s Group’s Holiday Inn Express brand.

We advised Royal Group on its proposed acquisition of the leasehold interest and improvements on Vagaru Island, Shaviyani Atoll, Republic of the Maldives.

We advised Marriott International on its negotiations with Far East Consortium in relation to its management and related agreements for the new-build 204 room Ritz Carlton in Perth. This was the first Ritz Carlton hotel announced in Australia after a 15 year absence for the brand.

We represented Shun Ho Property Investments Limited, a public limited company incorporated in Hong Kong (Stock Code: 219), in the acquisition of Newton Inn for HK$1 billion.

Represented SOCAM Development Limited in the sale of the Four Seasons Hotel and Four Seasons Place in Shanghai to B.M. Holding Group for ¥1.323 billion.

We assisted our client to acquire a significant rental investment property in Central London consisting of multiple short let flats and penthouses on long leases, We were particularly proud of completing on such a substantial deal in just 10 working days where a huge volume of due diligence was required alongside planning issues and restrictions.

For a Roman Catholic Order, monetized real estate holdings to provide annuity for aging Sisters by entitling one portion of parcel for 79 single family homes (in concert with a leading developer) and using the proceeds to construct advanced “age-in-place” senior housing for Sisters; additionally, US$200 thousand per new home was dedicated to a private operating foundation for perpetual maintenance and public use of a 5.5-acre legacy garden, over a century old.

We acted for the largest hypermarket retailer in the United Kingdom in relation to its real estate acquisition and leasing matters in the PRC.

Advised a high profile property fund to acquire 5 shopping centres across the UK for a total value of for £226 million

Via della Spiga 26 is a beautiful building in the 'golden triangle' of Milan, housing Dolce & Gabbana's flagship store as well as the offices of Tiffany & Co. We helped Thor Equities and Invesco to acquire the site, negotiating with a family who had held the property for generations and were initially locked in dispute between themselves. Our clients and the vendors were grateful for our help in brokering what had seemed an impossible deal.

With much of our history focused on acting for successful individuals, families and entrepreneurs, we are not afraid to go up against large financial institutions. In one complex case, we acted against one of the largest UK banks in a dispute relating to a loan for the development of a household name supermarket, and the use of an interest rate swap to ‘hedge’ the loan.

We are currently helping a new entity that is establishing a worldwide private members' club to include up to 65 five-star properties worldwide. We began by assisting on the debt financing with a bulge bracket lender. With locations expected to include Scotland, England, New Zealand, the US and the Caribbean, there are also numerous property deals in the works and we are negotiating management contracts to run the clubs.

The Old War Office at 57 Whitehall, London is a prestigious and historic building. We were proud to act for State Bank of India in its client Hinduja Group's purchase of the site, which is to be converted into a luxury hotel.

We are advising Pro-invest Hotels Group on its Cayman fund, developing hotels in Australia and New Zealand under InterContinental Hotel’s Group’s Holiday Inn Express brand.

Represented a foreign-based seller of NY property, whose lawyer stole the proceeds of the sale. In addition to partial recovery from the Lawyers' Fund, we were able to recover a substantial amount of the uncovered losses.

Aided a Brazilian family with significant US commercial real estate holdings to restructure the ownership of this property to avoid US estate tax. Also devised arrangements for Brazilian residents to create legitimate structures that are protected from Brazilian taxation, permit efficient repatriation of capital to Brazil when needed and ensure optimal flexibility and family control to respond to changing needs and tax laws in the future.

Advised on a build-to-suit lease plus adjacent parking facility for new hotel, club and restaurant property in Chicago.

Advised on multiple acquisitions for US headquartered international conservancy and sporting society of high-end destination resort businesses and related US$135 million financing facility. 

Represented purchaser/borrower in US$65 million financing and acquisitions in Montana, New York and Massachusetts for international sport club.

Assisted a luxury hotel chain with the completion of two new leases as part of its prestigious development in the trendy DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Represented a luxury hotel chain in its expansion in California, assisting in the negotiations regarding the lease of prime space on the Pacific Coast Highway for its new beach club and the related acquisition of an existing liquor license from the controlling landlord entity.

Assisted a luxury hotel chain in acquiring  a 50,000 square foot development property in downtown Los Angeles (which transaction included a bridge loan facility from a co-investor), as well as assisting the client with flipping the parcel to a third party purchaser (among multiple bidders) for a significant profit.

Acting for a luxury hotel chain on the financing for the acquisition and re-development of their Miami Beach site.

Aided a Brazilian family with significant US commercial real estate holdings to restructure the ownership of this property to avoid US estate tax. Also devised arrangements for Brazilian residents to create legitimate structures that are protected from Brazilian taxation, permit efficient repatriation of capital to Brazil when needed and ensure optimal flexibility and family control to respond to changing needs and tax laws in the future.

Assisted a major Brazilian real estate investor to immigrate to the US, start a new business, acquire US real estate and reorganize his Brazilian and offshore investments. This involved obtaining a new passport and visas, international tax and corporate structuring, real estate advice and business planning.

Handle sale out of multiple apartment assets owned by an offshore fund, together with windup of entity. Windup and liquidation of foreign corporation included issues of law of Curacao, Hong Kong and California/US.