Real Estate Finance

Our Banking & Finance team advises banks, borrowers and financial institutions on all aspects of real estate finance investment and development transactions, both within the UK and internationally.

For lender clients, we’ll work closely with you to ensure full due diligence and security formalities comply with internal credit policies, whilst recognising that you also have a business relationship to manage with your customers.

If you’re on the borrower side, we ensure that the loan documentation agreed with the bank meets all of your requirements whilst ensuring the commercial deal is accurately and fully reflected in the transaction documentation.

We have particular expertise in dealing with distressed situations and renegotiating refinancing arrangements following covenant defaults.

A number of our team have worked in-house for banks and specialist lenders, enabling us to offer an in-depth understanding of the current commercial and regulatory environments in which you operate, whichever side of the transaction you are on.

Our areas of expertise include:

• Drafting, negotiating and renegotiating facility agreements, inter-creditor deeds and associated loan documentation
• Drafting and enforcing security arrangements against property assets for lenders, joint ventures, receivers and administrators
• Advising on tax efficient structures for real estate investment and development structures both on and offshore

Examples of relevant work

• Advising Clydesdale bank on the £22m development facility for two Intercontinental hotels to be constructed above the Westfield Stratford centre
• Advising Hadley Mace Limited in relation to all financing aspects of the first public/private partnership between a private developer and the Homes and Communities Agency in relation to the £200m redevelopment of the Greenwich Hospital site
• Acting for a UK-based property development group in its refinancing and disposal negotiations with the National Asset Management Agency
• Advising Ahli United Bank on the property finance and construction documentation for a £42m single residential premises
• Acting for investors on the debt financing being provided by Barclays Bank for the acquisition and refurbishment of properties for student accommodation
• Acting for the residual value insurers of a US pension fund in connection with a lease assignment, extension and new guarantees in connection with a property in Greeley, Colorado 

For more information, please contact Simon Hopewell  (simon.hopewell@rpc.co.uk)