Margaret Rhodes

Senior Counsel

About

Margaret works on a broad range of real estate transactions, including investment, especially in the hospitality sector, substantial lettings and real estate finance. She has a particular specialism in advising on the real estate aspects of restructuring and insolvency mandates.

Margaret has worked in real estate for over 25 years, maintaining a varied practice. Her recent work includes advising:

  • hotel owners acquiring, developing and operating prime London properties, including of historic, listed buildings;  
  • major corporate occupiers taking leases of headquarters premises or negotiating re-gears with landlords;
  • on real estate finance transactions, with experience acting both lender and borrower side;
  • on the real estate aspects of M&A transactions, working alongside our Corporate & M&A group, including coordinating advice from real estate specialists in other jurisdictions on deals spanning multiple countries. 

Margaret frequently works with the Restructuring and Insolvency team, whether acting for insolvency practitioners, lenders or those acquiring assets in a distressed context. She has extensive experience of such transactions and the often complex interplay between different stakeholders.         

Alongside client-facing work Margaret mentors trainee solicitors and is involved in legal training for other solicitors and trainees within the Real Estate department.   

 

Experience

  • Advising Hayfin on the acquisition and financing of landmark London office building 70 St Mary Axe Nuveen Real Estate.
  • Advising Investec Bank PLC and Rathbones Group PLC on a long-term lease regear of their office premises at 30 Gresham Street, London.
  • Advising The Instant Group on its merger with workspace network IWG plc’s digital businesses.
  • Advising Liberation Group, a PE-backed pub, restaurant and drinks business and owner of the Butcombe Brewing Co, on transactions including acquisitions of pub portfolios.
  • Acting for a Qatari investor on the purchase of the The Ritz Hotel London (through a corporate acquisition) and a major redevelopment and refurbishment project at the hotel.
  • Advising Realstar Group, a Canadian real estate investment company, on the corporate acquisition of the circa £100m Ilford build-to-rent (BTR) scheme from Beverly Hills-based real estate company Kennedy Wilson.
  • Acting for the administrators of two companies on the ongoing operation and then sales of two multi-let shopping centres out of administration

Case studies

Insights and news