Richard Brearley
Richard Brearley
Richard Brearley
Biography
Richard combines first-rate technical knowledge with commercial pragmatism developed by working across diverse areas of real estate on transactions across the country, as well as time spent on secondment in the UK legal team of a Fortune 500 business. That skill and experience makes him adaptable to different sectors and market conditions, and gives a broad perspective which benefits both one-off transactions and long-term projects. In response to particular clients’ needs, he has developed particular expertise in real estate insolvency and telecommunications. Richard’s practice currently encompasses commercial and residential development projects; pre-lets; financing transactions for lenders and borrowers; investment acquisitions and disposals; forward fundings; and asset management. He has increasingly acted for clients in the logistics sector, and is part of our logistics & industrial team.
In 2023, Richard was recognsed in Legal500 as a key lawyer in three areas: commercial property development; commercial property investment; and corporate occupiers.
Admissions
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England and Wales
Related Capabilities
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Real Estate
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Commercial Real Estate
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Logistics & Industrial
Experience
2025:
- For Lone Star, acquisition of a multi-asset portfolio from St. James’s Place
- For a leading private-equity-backed logistics investor/operator:
- Forward purchase of a new logistics unit in the south of England
- Forward funding of a portfolio of logistics assets
- For an international private equity firm as borrower, on the real estate assets of a development financing transaction
- For a household-name house-builder, a complex land swap/option transaction as part of enabling a multi-billion-pound residential development in London
- For an international sportswear company as tenant taking UK office space
- For Vantiva on the UK real estate aspects of the sale of its supply chain business
2024:
- For Tristan Capital Partners, the acquisition of the Cody Technology Park, Farnborough for £112m
- For an international bank, a pre-let of a new office building in Manchester
- For a global real estate investment firm, the forward funding of build-to-rent and affordable housing projects in central London and Salford.
2023:
- The sale of 1 New Street Square for Landsec.
2022:
- The complex forward sale of a City office development by way of corporate disposal, a transaction which won widespread media coverage due to wider market and macro-economic circumstances.
2021:
- The acquisition by an overseas joint venture of a geared long lease for a development site in London’s south bank area
- For the landowner in litigation about a telecommunications provider’s rights of access to a prominent central London office building
2020:
- For a FTSE 100 client, restructuring and disposal of a prominent central London estate
- The disposal of a City of London office and retail complex
- The purchase from administrators of a nationwide business and its operating portfolio
- The purchase from administrators of two prominent retail brands, including key real estate assets
2019:
- The investment acquisition of an office building in the heart of the City
- For institutional landlords, multiple pre-let transactions in the City
Related Insights
Nov 26, 2025
Jan 15, 2025
Oct 03, 2024
Feb 15, 2023