Squire Patton Boggs has announced the appointment of senior lawyers Nick Bell and Leanne Keyte, who have joined the firm’s Financial Services Practice from The Royal Bank of Scotland plc.
Formerly a director and head of the Real Estate Finance Transaction Management Team, Mr. Bell joins the firm as a partner based in Leeds. Mr. Bell has 18 years of experience advising on acquisition finance and cross-border corporate transactions, refinancing and restructurings. He has considerable expertise in property investment and development finance, and has advised on various PFI projects for schools, hospitals and infrastructure. He has also advised on more than £300 million of NHS LIFT projects, setting up primary care centres across the UK.
Ms. Keyte joins the firm in London as a director. Ms. Keyte spent 17 years at The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, where she was a senior director in the Real Estate Finance Transaction Management Team. She has advised on high-value syndicated, development and investment deals, including student accommodation, build-to-rent, shopping centres, motor service areas and residential developers. Ms. Keyte also managed training for the bank’s national Real Estate Finance team and has been part of a number of Legal Marketing Association working groups.
“We are excited to welcome Nick and Leanne to the firm,” said Paula Laird, EMEA head of the Squire Patton Boggs global Financial Services Practice Group.
“Nick and Leanne are highly regarded deal management experts, and their ability to advise on deal structuring and provide expert, first-hand experience of what lenders require before, during and after any financing transaction enables us to offer a unique service to better prepare clients for transactions. With their commercial knowledge, excellent business relationships within the major financial institutions and borrower base, they will be a tremendous asset to the firm and our clients.”
The Squire Patton Boggs national real estate finance team is one of the most experienced in the UK, advising lenders and borrowers on all aspects of real estate financing transactions. The team comprises more than 100 specialist real estate and finance lawyers, working across real estate, finance, real estate litigation, planning, construction and environmental. The team is praised for its “outstanding industry knowledge” in The Legal 500 UK 2019.