Contact details

William Saunders

T: +44 20 7809 2138 M: +44 7770 721 429 Email William | vCard Office: London

Awards

Investment funds: Closed-end listed funds

Investment funds: Closed-end listed funds

ECM - small-midcap

ECM - small-midcap

Listed funds and Real estate funds

Listed funds and Real estate funds

William Saunders Head of funds and financial services

Contact details

William Saunders

William Saunders
Head of funds and financial services

T: +44 20 7809 2138 M: +44 7770 721 429 Email William | vCard Office: London

William is a partner and head of the funds and financial services group advising on the launch, reconstruction, takeover and investments of funds and trading companies.
  • Profile
  • Services

William has many years of experience in all aspects of real estate, private equity, split capital, emerging market, hedge and listed, offshore alternative investment funds as well as advising managers, brokers, nomads and sponsors. He has been rated as a leader in his field by various directories for many years.

William has recently been inducted to the 2018 Legal 500 Hall of fame as a result of his continued recognition by the directory. The Chambers UK 2017 legal directory describes William as having a "mastery of closed-end funds" that few in the market can match. Sources also say: "He's pragmatic, commercial, with a thorough working knowledge of the area," while remaining "brilliant when the going gets tough."


"Sources state that he offers "robust and clear advice with a commercial outlook," and say that he is an "excellent lead partner with superb sector knowledge"."

Chambers UK 2019 
  • Investment funds
  • Corporate

William has many years of experience in all aspects of real estate, private equity, split capital, emerging market, hedge and listed, offshore alternative investment funds as well as advising managers, brokers, nomads and sponsors. He has been rated as a leader in his field by various directories for many years.

Examples include:

LXI REIT plc

Acted on the IPO of LXI REIT plc, a real estate investment trust established to invest in a diversified portfolio of UK property that benefits from long-term index-linked leases. The fund raised over £138 million on IPO through a placing, offer for subscription and an intermediaries offer.

Henderson Global Trust plc

Acting on the merger of Henderson Global Trust plc by scheme of reconstruction into Henderson International Income Trust and the Bankers Trust.

APQ Global Limited

Acted on the IPO of APQ Global Limited, a global emerging markets growth company with interests across Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa and its admission to listing on the CISEA and to trading on AIM. In conjunction with the IPO, the company acquired the APQ Alexandria Fund, a former emerging markets fund managed by APQ Partners LLP.

BB Healthcare Trust

Acting for BB Healthcare Trust on its very successful IPO and listing to the premium segment of the London Stock Exchange.

Charlemagne Capital

Acting for Charlemagne Capital on its takeover by Fiera Capital.

More: Investment funds

William has many years of experience dealing with corporate and M&A matters, servicing the needs principally of his funds and fund management clients.

Examples include:

Schroders Real Estate Fund

Advised Schroders Real Estate Fund on its acquisition of the Hammersmith shopping centre for £153 million.

First Investment Bank

Advised First Investment Bank on its acquisition of MKB Unionbank, a rival bank in Hungary.

Property Income and Growth Limited

Acted on the MBO of a London listed Guernsey property fund ("Property Income and Growth Limited") which was the first ever takeover of a Guernsey listed company.

More: Corporate

Awards

Investment funds: Closed-end listed funds

Investment funds: Closed-end listed funds

ECM - small-midcap

ECM - small-midcap

Listed funds and Real estate funds

Listed funds and Real estate funds

Latest news & insights

11 May 2023

From News

Stephenson Harwood acts as lead legal advisor to LXi REIT on £773 million refinancing

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03 May 2023

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Law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP has advised Ashoka WhiteOak Emerging Markets Trust (AWEM) on its successful raising of £30.5 million through the IPO of its ordinary sh..

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11 May 2022

From News

Stephenson Harwood advises LXi REIT on merger with SIR

Law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP is advising LXi REIT plc (LXi) on its proposed merger with Secure Income REIT plc (SIR).

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09 Oct 2020

From News

Stephenson Harwood advises on largest fund IPO in 2020

Law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP has advised Home REIT on its £240.5 million IPO on the London Stock Exchange, the biggest fund IPO of the year so far.

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On 18 March 2020, the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) published a statement on its website concerning the suspension of open-ended commercial real estate investmen..

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​Investors in capital markets rely on accurate and timely reporting from the listed companies in which they invest but the unprecedented events of the last couple of w..

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25 Jan 2019

From News

Stephenson Harwood advises on largest UK healthcare REITs merger

Law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP has advised Nexus Tradeco Limited (Nexus), in its role as property manager of Primary Health Properties (PHP), on the merger of PHP and..

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