Triple-Partner Hire Further Strengthens McDermott’s International Real Estate Transactions Offering

London (14 May, 2018) – International law firm McDermott Will & Emery has hired three of the legal industry’s leading real estate lawyers in a move that significantly bolsters the Firm’s first-class international real estate practice.

The three partners, Laurence Rogers, Neville Wright and Tom Calnan, who are based in the firm’s London office, joined on 14 May from another international law firm.

Laurence Rogers focuses on all aspects of real estate finance. He is highly experienced in investment and development transactions as well as syndicated and bilateral deals. He has acted for a range of borrowers and lenders, both senior, mezzanine and equity. Laurence handles all real estate finance aspects of origination and refinancing as well as the real estate finance aspects of restructuring. He advises on all major property asset classes and across a number of sectors including healthcare, hotel and leisure, commercial, retail and student accommodation. Laurence handles both UK transactions and cross-border deals in Europe and Asia and he is particularly active on financing for private equity real estate transactions and acting for alternative lenders.

Neville Wright focuses his practice on all aspects of corporate taxation with a particular focus on the finance and real estate sectors. He has advised a range of corporate entities, including banks, non-bank lenders, listed property companies and real estate funds and also has significant experience in advising private property companies and high net worth individuals, both in the United Kingdom and internationally. He has a wealth of experience in acquisition finance, real estate lending, Sharia-compliant financing, securitization and structured finance transactions. He also advises on property developments, both commercial and residential, joint ventures and forward funding and regularly handles first-time investments in real estate in London for international investors.

Tom Calnan focuses his practice on commercial real estate transactions and has a wealth of experience in the UK market, including investment acquisitions and disposals, mixed-use development, hotel and leisure deals and structured real estate transactions, with a particular focus on the private equity sector. Tom also handles the real estate aspects of property finance and corporate finance transactions. He has a great deal of experience acting for Middle Eastern clients with a particular focus on cross-border multi-disciplinary deals involving Middle Eastern clients seeking to invest in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Commenting on the partner hires, London Managing Partner Andrew Vergunst said, “All of us here in the London office are delighted to welcome Laurence, Neville and Tom. Their experience and talents are second to none and they represent a perfect complement to, and extension of, the brilliant real estate team that we have here at McDermott in Europe and the US.

“Through these hires, McDermott continues to show both its commitment to the strategically important London legal market and its ability to attract the highest calibre of lawyers to our ranks. Our London office continues to grow and diversify, consolidating its market position, as witnessed by the substantive increase in our London headcount in the last year and the significant lateral hires we have made to our fast-growing Healthcare and Cyber practices”.

McDermott Will & Emery’s Chairman, Ira Coleman, added, “These market-leading partners are extending our already first-rate international real estate practice, and we are delighted to have them join our team. Our goal, as always, is to deliver to the best possible results for our clients we are confident that Laurence, Neville and Tom will help make an even greater impact.”