Contact details

Catriona Berman

T: +44 20 7809 2568 Email Catriona | vCard Office: London

Awards

Commercial property: Investment

Commercial property: Investment

Catriona Berman Partner

Contact details

Catriona Berman

Catriona Berman
Partner

T: +44 20 7809 2568 Email Catriona | vCard Office: London

A real estate lawyer with interests in investment, development and asset management, Catriona acts for a range of domestic and international clients including private equity investors and large developers, and has an appetite for complex transactions. Clients say that they enjoy working with Catriona for her straightforward advice and commercial approach.
  • Profile
  • Services
  • Sectors

Catriona has acted on a broad variety of matters, from the development and forward funding of a luxury hotel to the acquisition, development, pre-let and financing of major Central London office property. She enjoys handling transactions through the use of corporate structures (domestic and offshore), including joint ventures and corporate acquisitions & disposals.

She has dealt with a number of interesting and high-profile properties, including the BBC’s Television Centre, the More London Estate and the Grangemouth refinery.

Catriona also regularly advises on the real estate aspects of private equity investments, and assists overseas companies in respect of their occupational needs in the United Kingdom.

Catriona also has experience advising both borrowers and lenders on the property elements of finance transactions, including development loans, mezzanine and stretch senior finance.

"Catriona Berman is very reassuring to work with, despite the vendor’s solicitors and client generating plenty of challenges!"

The Legal 500 UK 2022

  • Public and private M&A
  • Real estate finance
  • Real estate investment and development
  • Joint ventures
  • Real estate

The acquisition of a majority stake in a serviced apartment provider, for an institutional investor with an increasing interest in the aparthotel/serviced apartment sector.

Carrying out vendor due diligence and transaction structuring in respect of a major public entity transaction, involving local counsel in multiple jurisdictions, and multi-faceted environmental issues, in advance of disposal and/or spin-off.

Acting on the corporate restructuring and disposal of the mapping and navigation division of a market leading business, including property-level subdivision and ongoing management.

Advising Global Infrastructure Partnership on the property aspects of the acquisition of Gatwick Airport, together with the related acquisition finance.

More: Public and private M&A

Real estate lending:

Advising an institutional debt fund respect of numerous development finance and acquisition finance facilities, at both mezzanine and whole-loan levels.

Investing, on behalf of a consortium of private individuals & institutional investors, in a shopping centre in Wales, through a non-recourse loan structure with priority payments, and the associated joint venture arrangements.

Senior financing within a multi-layered loan structure of a residential development in Croydon for an institutional debt fund.

More: Real estate finance

Acquisitions and disposals:

The acquisition of a major build-to-rent led mixed-use regeneration project in Manchester, including structuring arrangements with delivery partners, funding and development documentation and joint venture negotiations, and the subsequent financing of the development with a third party lender.

Development and forward funding:

The acquisition and forward funding of the FCA’s new building in Stratford, East London, including acquiring and restructuring the JPUT vehicle, renegotiating the development agreement, and drafting and negotiating the funding agreement.

The acquisition, development, preletting and finance of the Principal Place site in Central London, including determining the residential estate structure and general development matters. This also included the major pre-let of the commercial element of the site to Amazon as their new London headquarters and the joint venture arrangements in respect of the residential tower.

More: Real estate investment and development

Acting for a major international investor on:

The sale of a 50% stake in their property at Principal Place prior to development, and ongoing advice in relation to joint venture matters; and

Their development of London Wall Place, London, in joint venture with Oxford Properties.

Advising a private investor on his entry into a joint venture with a New York investment fund in relation to investments in real estate assets in England & Wales.

Acting for Ineos in their joint venture with PetroChina relating to petrochemicals refining and entrepreneurial businesses in France and Scotland.

More: Joint ventures

Asset management:

Advice in relation to the ownership, management and disposal of the More London estate, London SE1 (sale price reported at £1.7 billion).

Advising various institutional landlords and corporate occupiers on leasing arrangements.

Hospitality and leisure:

Advising a private individual in relation to his role as forward funder to a luxury hotel and members’ club in Oxfordshire.

Representing a major institutional lender in relation to its acquisition of an aparthotel and the associated operating business in Manchester, in advance of a major refurbishment. This transaction included the introduction of an Opco-Propco structure and acquisition and development financing.

More: Real estate

  • Rail and road
  • Real estate investors and developers

Trenitalia c2c

Advising Trenitalia c2c on occupational lettings and estate management matters in respect of its estate of stations.

Northern Trains Limited

Advising Northern Trains Limited in relation to letting and title matters arising out of the manner in which it operates following the termination of the prior operator's franchise.

Bus operator transport company

Advising a bus operator in relation to the acquisition and development of a site to be used as a bus depot.

Trenitalia c2c

Ongoing advice in favour of [c2c] in respect of station developments and re-developments at various of its stations.

More: Rail and road

Catriona has experience acting for a broad range of real estate investors and developers, both international and domestic. She acts on acquisitions and disposals (of both assets and property-holding SPVs), forward funding and development, and on asset management matters following acquisition.

The acquisition, development, preletting and finance of the Principal Place site in Central London, including determining the residential estate structure and general development matters. This also included the major pre-let of the commercial element of the site to Amazon as their new London headquarters and the joint venture arrangements in respect of the residential tower.

Advising a consortium led by Stanhope plc on the acquisition and development of the BBC Television Centre Site. This transaction included a leaseback element, and a multi-layered ownership and estate management structure. Development finance was later acquired, and various occupational arrangements restructured.

Advising an investor on a number of transactions (including through a period of secondment to an inhouse r.ole), including the disposal of 125 Old Broad Street through a sale of the corporate holding vehicle.

More: Real estate investors and developers

Awards

Commercial property: Investment

Commercial property: Investment

Latest news & insights

03 May 2023

From Insights

Nuisance – you can overlook it…

Considerations for unusual developments

More

01 Feb 2023

From Insights

Service charges – pay now, argue later?

How conclusive is a service charge certificate?

More

02 Aug 2022

From Insights

Subject to contract … or not? Don't rely on the label….

You're a property investor and interior designer. A developer approaches you with a good project and you agree to set up a joint venture company to implement it. You b..

More

25 Jul 2022

From News

Stephenson Harwood advises on Miers Construction Products sale

Law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP has advised the sellers of Miers Construction Products Ltd (MCP) on its sale to SIG PLC.

More

17 Mar 2022

From Insights

Answers to 10 key questions about how the new Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022 affects property ownership

The new Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act ("the ECA") provides for a register of overseas entities and their beneficial owners.

More

14 Mar 2022

From News

Stephenson Harwood advises Focusrite plc on its £12.6 million acquisition of Linea Research Holdings Limited

Law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP has advised AIM-listed Focusrite plc on its acquisition of Linea Research Holdings Limited for a total consideration of £12.6 million.

More

07 Feb 2022

From Insights

Must try harder – "endeavours" obligations have teeth…

You're a property promoter. You've identified a large site with development potential, and you've secured options from the various landowners to acquire it.

More

11 Nov 2021

From Insights

Coronavirus guidance

With our strong presence in Asia, Stephenson Harwood has been involved in addressing the issues surrounding coronavirus (COVID-19) right from the very start.

More

01 Jul 2021

From Insights

Losing the right to forfeit – DON’T take the money!

You’re the landlord of a good quality office block. The various floors of the block are let to several different tenants, and your relationship with the tenants is goo..

More

02 Mar 2021

From Insights

Break clauses – the importance of giving vacant possession… and what we can learn from Goldilocks

You’re the landlord of a property in a location where re-lettings are proving difficult at the moment. Rents have fallen and there are several similar properties near ..

More

05 Feb 2021

From Insights

Real estate structures 2020-2021

Change and uncertainty are key challenges this year for real estate deal structures. Investors, developers and finance providers will need to understand the implicatio..

More

02 Nov 2020

From Insights

Unfair restraint?

You’re an investor and you’re keen to buy a competitively priced shopping centre. With the difficult trading environment for retail, exacerbated by Covid, you find one..

More

03 Aug 2020

From Insights

2020 RICS code for leasing business premises – why you can’t ignore it

As you may know, the new RICS Code for leasing business premises comes into effect on 1 September. The aim of the Code is to improve the quality and fairness of lease..

More

13 May 2020

From Insights

Reopening of premises: key points for landlords

COVID-19 presents a rapidly evolving situation. Landlords need to be able to respond quickly, so here is the key information that you need to know if you are thinking ..

More

28 Apr 2020

From Insights

Fresh restrictions on pursuing rent arrears

The Government has just announced that it will introduce restrictions on landlords pursuing commercial tenants for rent arrears. These are in addition to the restrict..

More

24 Mar 2020

From Insights

Moratorium on forfeiture

You may have seen in this morning’s press an important development that will impact on a landlord’s options for dealing with premises.

More

print-footer
logo
© Stephenson Harwood LLP 2016. Any reference to Stephenson Harwood in this document means Stephenson Harwood LLP and/or its affiliated undertakings. Any reference to a partner is used to refer to a member of Stephenson Harwood LLP.