Corporate Real Estate M&A – US Firm – London
We are working on an exclusive basis with a highly regarded Corporate Real Estate and Real Estate Private Equity team at a leading US firm in London. The practice is actively growing and looking to make multiple hires across a broad PQE range of 2–6 years. This is a genuine expansion not a replacement search and the team is keen to move quickly on strong profiles.
This is a well-established and market-recognised practice sitting at the intersection of corporate, private equity and real estate. It is not a conventional real estate team — the work is highly transactional and investment-driven, advising sponsors, institutional investors and corporates on complex UK and cross-border acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures and investment structures involving real estate assets.
The practice operates closely alongside the firm’s leading Corporate/M&A, Investment Funds, Finance and Tax practices both in London and across the firm’s extensive international network, giving associates genuine exposure to sophisticated, multi-disciplinary mandates. The firm is known for its strong work on prominent real estate private equity deals, alongside wider strengths in infrastructure matters and portfolio transactions, with clients including private equity houses, investment funds and management teams. Recent headline instructions from the broader platform give a clear sense of the quality and scale of the work including advising on a £400 million acquisition of a portfolio of hotels from a major UK REIT, a £351 million acquisition of a mixed portfolio of industrial, office, leisure and residential assets, and a £230 million acquisition of a portfolio of purpose-built student accommodation assets. The practice regularly advises some of the most recognised names in global real estate private equity.
The associate group is deliberately lean roughly 8–12 associates across the broader offering which means juniors and mid-levels gain early responsibility, direct partner access and involvement in marquee mandates from a very early stage. The 2026 edition of Chambers UK recognised the firm with 17 practice rankings and 38 lawyer rankings both all-time highs reflecting its continued strength across high-end transactional work.
Why This Role?
This is a team where the work is genuinely sophisticated and the structure rewards those who want to develop quickly. The lean model means there is no hiding behind layers of hierarchy — associates are embedded in deals, working directly alongside partners, and given responsibility that would take considerably longer to acquire elsewhere. The firm does not operate a bonus structure; total compensation is instead reflected in a strong base salary. There are no rigid billable hour targets, with the culture focused on quality of work rather than hours management.
Chambers describes the firm as having “strategic, pragmatic and sophisticated counsel with a deep understanding of the business” and notes that the team is “well-suited to manage cross-border transactions in virtually any market.”
What They Are Looking For
The team is targeting candidates across the 2–6 PQE range, with the immediate focus at the junior end around 2–3 PQE. Crucially, this is not a role for a pure real estate lawyer. The ideal candidate will have a strong and broad corporate background with solid experience across M&A and joint ventures and ideally some exposure to funds or investment structures, combined with an interest in or experience of real estate assets.
Candidates should be comfortable working fluidly across corporate and real estate private equity disciplines and be genuinely interested in complex, investment-driven transactions. The team values intellectual curiosity, commercial instinct, and the ability to operate independently in a lean environment.
England & Wales qualified candidates are preferred. Irish-qualified candidates with relevant experience will also be considered. Backgrounds considered include candidates from a wide range of top-tier City and international firms across the Magic Circle, Silver Circle, and elite US platform peer group, as well as leading mid-market and specialist transactional practices.
To Apply
The search is at an early stage and there is genuine scope to introduce strong profiles now. If you have a strong corporate transactional background and are interested in moving into or deepening your experience in real estate private equity at a high-performing, lean platform, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please get in touch for a confidential conversation.
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