Mishcon de Reya acted for new AIM listed client London Town plc on the purchase of a portfolio of 167 pubs for £94.5 million, on its re-admission to AIM and on the purchase of a further portfolio of 39 pubs, which was part financed by the issue of shares on a non preemptive basis to existing shareholders.

The former Midland Bank HQ at 27/35 Poultry in the City was purchased by Poultry Development Limited for £72 million. The Mishcon de Reya team exchanged contracts for the purchase of this property within just 12 hours of receiving initial instructions.

Fund client UBS Global Asset Management (UK) Ltd has been active on a number of acquisitions including the forward purchase of a 200,000 sq ft office development at 154/172 Tooley Street SE1 from Great Portland Estates plc.

Earls Court and Olympia Group has had a busy year and we have been involved in a flow of transactions including the sale of the vacant areas abutting the Brewery, Chiswell Street to aparthotel operator GuestInvest for £27.5 million, the sale of properties occupied by the Brewery to Matrix Group by way of a sale and leaseback for £39 million and the sale of Sundial Court for £9.5 million. This brings the total property related proceeds realised from the acquisition to over £65 million.

Helical Bar plc has purchased a number of development sites including acquisitions for Helical Retirement Villages in Telford Shropshire, Faygate West Sussex and Bramshott Place.

O Twelve Estates, advised by Rugby Asset Management has purchased Queensgate, Britannia Road, Waltham Cross for £14 million from Clerical Medical Managed Funds and Mellon House, Brentwood for £11 million. O Twelve’s objective is to build up a portfolio that is diverse in sector, tenant and lot size in the Thames Gateway and surrounding areas where significant regeneration is underway.

New client overseas investor D2 Private acquired Fortress House, 23 Savile Row (previously the HQ of English Heritage) from Legal & General Assurance Society Limited for £110.3 million.The site is now being redeveloped and we are advising on the planning and construction aspects.

Paul White’s Frogmore Real Estate Partners £1 billion fund purchased 46 and 50 St Mary Axe in the City, which is to be redeveloped as offices and Westel House Ealing, the HQ of Thames Valley University, also for redevelopment.

Marco Polo House Queenstown Road Battersea London SW8 was purchased for £62.9 million by private investor Anastasia Limited. This predominantly freehold island site is opposite Battersea Park.

Irish property company Deramore Holdings Limited purchased retail property at 48-86 St John’s Road Clapham for £25.5 million from the Prudential Assurance Company.

Matterhorn Capital, founded in 2005 by Anthony Lyons and Simon Conway, has been active in the high-end residential development sector. Deals included the acquisition of British Land’s historic former London headquarters on Cornwall Terrace in Regent’s Park for £50.5 million.

Consolidated Developments Limited is being advised by our Head of Planning, Oliver Goodwin, on the planning aspects of a major mixed use redevelopment of 500,000 sq ft at St Giles Circus designed by architects Forster and Partners, including the retention and enhancement of a number of important listed buildings.

Neptune Land Limited, the property development and investment company formed by Paul Stoodley and Simon Broackes, acquired (in joint venture with Standard Life) two office blocks in Ealing for redevelopment.

The Mishcon de Reya team advised the owner of a development site on the proposed construction of a new £25 million stadium for Luton Town Football Club, which will become home to Luton Town’s new 22,000 seat stadium.

Residential developer London & Newcastle has been active with a number of schemes including the purchase of two public house sites in Central London for redevelopment as luxury residential units.

Private housebuilder Fairview New Homes disposed of 208 dwellings at the former Crawley Leisure Centre to Hyde Housing Association and Moat Homes for £22.7 million. We also advised on a low cost market housing transaction with Crawley Borough Council pursuant to Section 106 obligations.

Developer Quad Projects disposed of the Ink Building, Barlby Road, London W10 (former HQ of the Chinacraft Group) for £32.5 million to London & Newcastle. It has also sold the affordable housing element of this residential development to Family Mosaic Housing Association.

In our first transaction for the expanding A2 Housing Group since Mishcon de Reya joined its panel, Ronald Hooberman acted on the £11.25 million purchase of 88 new homes for affordable housing in the Fairview development at Concept House, Farnborough.

Newly converted REIT British Land has been active on a string of disposals, including property portfolios in Central London and Solihull totalling £53 million.

Our real estate dispute resolution team has acted for a global investment bank defending one of the largest dilapidations claims of 2007, concerning major office premises in Central London.