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Our latest Economic Breakfast Briefing webinar addresses some of the economic and legal challenges faced by inward investors into the UK real estate market.

Inevitably there have been some changes over the last year which have had an impact on investment decisions. However, the sustained appetite from overseas investors for UK real estate continues to provide evidence of the strength of the sector. The UK’s attractiveness as an investment destination has proved resilient despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

As we emerge from the biggest global challenge the world has faced in modern times, we can now look forward to a period of growing opportunity. Factors such as the evolution of office space, the inexorable rise of online shopping and the permanent changes in the role of the high street are just some examples of how the pandemic has driven significant and lasting change. While this offers huge risks and challenges to some, it will also offer opportunities.

Anthony Hunt and Rebecca Davison were joined by a panel of experts to discuss where foreign investment into UK is currently coming from, the potential opportunities available to investors, developers, financiers and the trends which are emerging post-pandemic.

We heard insights from our brilliant panel of speakers:

Thomas Lloyd-Jones, Partner, Seren Capital
Clare Anna, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of London Rock Partners
Andrew Harrington, Founder of AHV Associates

Meet our panel

Our expert panel of speakers will address some of the economic and legal challenges currently faced by inward investors into the UK real estate market.

Andrew Harrington

Founder

AHV Associates

Andrew Harrington

Andrew co-founded AHV Associates in 2001, prior to which he worked at Salomon Brothers. AHV is an investment banking boutique and provides a range of M&A and capital raising services to privately owned businesses. During his career at Salomon Brothers, Andrew was rated as the number one sector analyst globally in all the major corporate and institutional investor surveys, and was made Managing Director in 1996. He was responsible for many successful capital raising exercises and provided advice on Mergers and Acquisitions to numerous companies. Andrew graduated in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge in 1985 and in 1988 obtained a DPhil in Theoretical Physics from the University of Oxford.

Clare Anna

Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer

London Rock Partners

Clare Anna

Clare is renowned for her business acumen and her ability to drive high performing commercial teams. Clare has garnered a track record in developing efficient sales, marketing, PR and revenue management initiatives. With vast experience in both in-house and hotel management roles, Clare was the Regional Director of Sales for De Vere Venues before moving into a group role as the Group Director of Agency Sales for Principal Hotel Company. Most recently she was the Commercial Director for Michels & Taylor, responsible for driving top line revenue performance via the commercial triangle of sales, marketing and revenue. Her success has earned her the reputation for consistently transforming the results of underperforming hotels.

Thomas Lloyd-Jones

Partner

Seren Capital

Thomas Lloyd-Jones

Opportunistic credit specialist, with over 15 years’ advisory and investment experience. Prior to Seren he was a founding partner of Zenzic where he was joint leader of opportunistic advisory practice, advising on in excess of $2bn in 7 years across asset-backed sectors. Previous experience includes roles at Macfarlanes and EY where he specialised in advising private equity and credit funds on transactional and fund formation matters.

Anthony Hunt

Partner

Howard Kennedy

Anthony Hunt

Anthony is an experienced M&A lawyer with a particular focus on the real estate sector, acting for domestic and international investors and developers, in particular in the hotel, retail, restaurant and leisure sectors. Anthony acts for private and listed companies, financial institutions and intermediaries and entrepreneurs. He advises clients on all aspects of corporate finance, domestic and international listings, takeovers, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, MBOs and MBIs. He plays a lead role in the operation and development of the firm’s corporate real estate services. He is also one of the lead corporate partner contacts for M&A, as well as the firm’s international practice and its two referral networks.

Rebecca Davison

Partner

Howard Kennedy

Rebecca Davison

Rebecca Davison is a solicitor focusing on all aspects of non-contentious commercial property transactions. Rebecca advises on acquisitions and disposals of freehold and leasehold properties, on the real estate aspects of insolvency, portfolio asset management and all other landlord and tenant matters. She acts for retail and corporate occupier clients on the acquisition, re-gearing and disposal of their occupational property interests. Rebecca has particular experience advising foreign investors in UK commercial real estate and with commercial occupiers on HQ relocation.