Real estate services expanded at Freshfields with the appointment of David Seymour and Will Bryant to bolster their offerings in this sector.
Top Private Equity Real Estate Lawyers Join Freshfields to Strengthen Global Team
David Seymour and Will Bryant, renowned private equity real estate lawyers with a strong background at Ropes & Gray in London, have joined Freshfields to bolster its global private capital real estate team. The duo will focus on cross-border transactions for European and international investors across diverse asset classes.
Seymour, a pre-eminent PE real estate lawyer, and Bryant, recognised as a "Next Generation Partner" by The Legal 500, bring extensive expertise in handling complex, cross-border real estate transactions involving various real assets and businesses. Their industry experience spans data centres, logistics, major retail, and social and educational investments.
Before their move to Freshfields, Seymour and Bryant began their careers as associates at Slaughter and May. Seymour joined Ropes & Gray in 2012 and became partner in 2016, while Bryant joined in 2013 and was promoted to partner in 2021.
Their appointment comes at a time when the real estate sector is undergoing significant change, driven by factors such as evolving working patterns, ESG demands, increased complexity, and cross-border investment trends. Freshfields has highlighted that real estate is the largest asset class in private capital, making the duo's appointment strategic for meeting client needs.
Niko Schultz-Suechting, Global Real Estate Head at Freshfields, emphasised the strategic nature of the appointments, stating that they would expand Freshfields' global offering across the full range of private capital and strategic investors in the real estate sector. James Scott, UK PE head at Freshfields, also noted that the appointments would enhance Freshfields' strength in London and global capabilities to meet the evolving needs of clients.
Seymour and Bryant will work closely with Alexander Watt, co-head of Freshfields' Global Real Assets, and Niko Schultz-Suechting, Global Real Estate Head, as well as with Niko Schultz-Suechting and James Scott. They will also collaborate with Niko Schultz-Suechting, who stated that the appointments would be instrumental in adapting buildings to ESG requirements, a significant factor in the real estate sector.
The increase in the complexity and cross-border nature of real estate transactions is another factor that the duo's appointment addresses. They will advise various entities including sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, family offices, and operating partners, providing strategic guidance for cross-border transactions involving European and global private equity real estate funds.
With their extensive industry experience and expertise, Seymour and Bryant are poised to make a significant impact at Freshfields, contributing to the firm's growth and success in the global private capital real estate market.
[1] https://www.freshfields.com/en/news/david-seymour-and-will-bryant-join-freshfields-in-london [2] https://www.law360.com/articles/1437607/rope-sgray-partners-david-seymour-will-bryant-join-freshfields-in-london [3] https://www.pehub.com/2022/07/private-equity-real-estate-lawyers-david-seymour-will-bryant-join-freshfields-in-london/ [4] https://www.ihrb.org/news/david-seymour-will-bryant-join-freshfields-in-london-to-strengthen-global-private-capital-real-estate-team/
- In their new roles at Freshfields, Seymour and Bryant will provide strategic guidance for cross-border transactions involving private equity real estate funds, utilizing their extensive experience in handling complex, cross-border real estate transactions.
- The duo's appointment at Freshfields is strategic for meeting client needs in the private equity real estate sector, particularly in the context of evolving cross-border investment trends and the largest asset class in the private capital market being real estate.
