Real Estate Finance Associate

BCLP; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

BCLP is seeking a Real Estate Finance lawyer to join its market-leading practice in London, working on complex, high-value transactions across offices in the UK. The role offers exposure to a broad range of assets and financing tools, with collaboration across partners, associates and paralegals.

You will draft and negotiate facility agreements, mezzanine and intercreditor arrangements and contribute to deal management in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Good understanding of Real Estate Finance concepts and market awareness.
• Flexible and adaptable to manage work proactively in a fast-paced environment.
• Commercial focus with knowledge of key areas of law and ability to provide clear, practical advice.
• Strong team and collaboration skills across the firm on client and transaction teams.
• Willingness to work with junior colleagues to manage transactions and develop skills.
• Desire to continually learn and grow legal skills within a supportive team.

Responsibilities

• Assist on Real Estate Finance deals and CRE structured debt for lenders and sponsors.
• Draft finance documents including complex facility agreements, fee letters, and intercreditor agreements.
• Understand financing for offices, residential, retail, hotels, and logistics with vanilla and structured debt.
• Assist in project managing deals with partners, associates and paralegals.
• Develop expertise by engaging with sector teams and sharing knowledge with colleagues.

Skills

Real Estate Finance concepts

Team collaboration

Commercial focus

Proactive work style

Willingness to learn

Job description

At BCLP, we’ve built our firm on the foundations of thinking differently. Curious, inquisitive and unbound by tradition, we’re building change within our sector and beyond.

Our market-leading Real Estate Finance practice combines key sector knowledge, unparalleled technical ability and a commercial focus, which ensures clients receive the best possible support and guidance. We are consistently ranked number one by the legal directories across all of real estate disciplines with lawyers that are recognised as experts in their fields.

Our London, Manchester and Southampton offices, give a broad and deep real estate capability across the sector. There is strong collaboration between teams in these locations, with matters being resourced seamlessly between our three UK offices, drawing on different practices and skills in our various locations. We also work seamlessly with our offices in France, Germany and with our Luxembourg desk.

Through a mixture of new technology and innovative working methods, we are able to offer our clients an efficient, cost effective and tailored service. You will have the opportunity to work on complex and high value transactions in a flexible and fast-paced environment.

In joining BCLP you will be nurtured and supported by a group with a strong track record of legal and personal development throughout the associate ranks. Within this structure you will be encouraged to foster your own rapport with our clients and forge out your own career path.

Recent Team highlights include:

• Advised Burstone on its strategic partnership with Blackstone for its €1.1 billion pan-European logistics portfolio and financing of the same. BCLP advised on the whole life cycle in respect of its pan European portfolio including bridge financing and acquisition financing in respect of its acquisition of the pan-European portfolio from Ares, a c.€500m portfolio refinancing to stabilise the portfolio (arranged by Citi and Aareal) and acting on debt processes relating to the sale of an 80% stake in the €1.1 bn business to Blackstone and advising on the c. €600m refinance in connection with that sale.
• Advised a multinational finance corporation on an c.£500m facility in connection with three BTR properties in London. The proceeds of the new loans were used to refinance c.£1bn of existing indebtedness across various properties at the development, which was one of the largest refinancings in the UK real estate market last year.
• Advised a syndicate of lenders comprising Barclays Bank Plc, ING Bank N.V., London Branch, HSBC UK Bank Plc and SMBC Bank International plc on a £215,000,000 investment facility provided to a joint venture between Supermarket Investment REIT plc and Blue Owl Capital for the refinancing of a portfolio of supermarket properties across the UK. The facility agreement also includes an accordion line enabling the JV to increase the debt quantum to fund future supermarket acquisitions.

Your role would be to:

• Assist on Real Estate Finance deals and CRE Structured Debt deals for a broad range of assets for a wide range of both lender and sponsor clients.
• Draft finance documents including complex facility agreements, fee letters, syndication letters, mezzanine documentation, priority arrangements and intercreditor agreements.
• Understand how to finance the full range of real estate assets ranging from offices, residential and retail to hotels and logistics and the full range of financing tools from vanilla investment work to structured debt and large scale developments.
• Assist in the project management of deals working with other team members including partners, associates and paralegals.
• Depending on your interests and experience, get involved in our sector and specialist experience teams to continue to develop your own expertise and share knowledge with colleagues.

Skills and experience required:

• A good understanding of key Real Estate Finance concepts and an appreciation and awareness of the Real Estate Finance market.
• Flexibility and adaptability to allow you to manage your work proactively in a high paced environment.
• Commercial focus with a knowledge of key areas of the law and ability to provide high quality, clear, concise and practical advice.
• Strong team and collaboration skills to work with colleagues across the firm on client and transaction teams.
• An enthusiasm to work with more junior colleagues to manage transactions effectively and develop their skills.
• A willingness to continue to learn to grow your own legal skills and knowledge (within a supportive team environment).

At BCLP we understand the value of a workforce with diverse perspectives and experiences, and we believe people perform at their best when they can truly be themselves at work. We aim to create an inclusive environment where all our employees are valued, motivated and able to be themselves. In order to provide the best possible service to our robust client base, we are committed to recruiting, retaining, rewarding and developing our people with regard to their abilities and contributions and without reference to their background, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnic origin, age, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, political belief, disability or any other applicable protected characteristic.

For further information, please contact [e-mail]