Pinsent Masons boosts real estate finance team

Richard, who specialises in finance and restructuring work, joins from Simmons & Simmons where he was a partner. He has extensive experience advising lenders and borrowers active across sectors including real estate, energy, infrastructure and financial services.

Richard’s expertise covers a wide range of financing transactions such as investment grade, leveraged, project and structured finance, restructurings and distressed debt.  He also has a particular specialism in real estate finance, acting for lenders and borrowers on financings, restructurings, distressed and special situations in respect of loans and other instruments secured on real estate, specifically the buying and selling of loan portfolios secured on real estate in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and other European countries.

His appointment follows significant investment in the firm's international real estate finance capability: Mark Leonard joined as a partner in Munich last year, and Philip Corfield-Smith was promoted to partner in Dubai in May.

John Salmon, Head of financial services at Pinsent Masons said:

"This is an exciting appointment that builds upon Pinsent Masons strategy to become an international market leader in the global sectors in which we operate. Richard is a first-class real estate finance specialist who will add significantly to our City team. We are targeting significant opportunities to build on our reputation in this space and Richard will be a key player in that."

John Cleland, Managing Partner of Pinsent Masons, says:

“Richard’s appointment is a coup for us. It further demonstrates our commitment to developing a market-leading real estate finance practice based in the City and operating internationally.”