LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--International law firm Proskauer has announced today the arrival of Joanne Owen as a partner in the Firm’s Private Equity Real Estate Group in London.
Ms. Owen focuses on complex, institutional and commercial real estate matters, with a particular emphasis on private equity, real estate finance and alternative vehicles for property investment. She has been involved in numerous landmark transactions in the UK and internationally, advising on acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, developments and redevelopment schemes. Her clients include major private equity houses, sovereign wealth funds, institutional landowners, investors and developers, pension funds and PLCs. She also has extensive experience advising hospitality and leisure industry clients on the full spectrum of transactional and operational issues. Some of Ms. Owen’s marquee matters include serving as lead partner on the acquisition of a landmark building in the City of London for an Asian company and the acquisition of a high-profile London shopping center by way of a joint venture for a leading U.S. private equity house.
Jeffrey A. Horwitz, co-head of the Firm’s Private Equity Real Estate Group, said, “Jo is one of the sector’s leading corporate real estate lawyers with a strong reputation for advising asset managers and PLCs on a vast range of real estate matters. As Europe continues to be a key region for the industry at large, her cross-border experience and robust knowledge of the lodging sector enables us to provide clients with an even deeper bench of expertise in the global markets.”
“Joining Proskauer is a truly exciting opportunity,” said Ms. Owen. “The Firm is a leader in corporate real estate transactions and has a clear vision to execute its strategy. I look forward to helping the Firm continue to strengthen its position.”
Ms. Owen’s arrival follows several recent high-profile additions to Proskauer’s London office, including M&A partners Steven Davis, Matt Rees and James Howe; Bruno Bertrand-Delfau, a leader in private equity secondary transactions; and finance partner Alex Griffith.
“It’s an exciting time at Proskauer, and we are delighted Jo will be joining our team in London,” said Mary Kuusisto, head of Proskauer’s London office. “Jo has an excellent reputation and her substantial experience will be a valuable asset to our practice and our client base.”
Proskauer has advised on some of the most complex and sophisticated private equity real estate transactions in the market, and in the last week alone has advised on transactions with a combined value of over $13 billion, including the $8.4 billion combination of New York REIT with The JBG Companies. Recent headline transactions also include representing longtime client AccorHotels in its acquisition of three of the world's most iconic hotel brands: Raffles, Fairmont and Swissôtel; advising an international sovereign wealth fund buyer in the acquisition of The London Hotel in New York City and representing Inland Real Estate in its $2.3 billion acquisition by real estate funds managed by DRA Advisors.
Ms. Owen received her undergraduate law degree with honors from Exeter University and her graduate law degree with distinction from Nottingham Trent University. She previously was a partner at DLA Piper where she was the head of the hospitality and leisure sector.
About Proskauer
Proskauer’s Private Equity Real Estate Group handles the most complex and important assignments for clients focused on real estate and real estate-related businesses and investments. Comprised of practitioners from our corporate, real estate, mergers & acquisitions, private equity, fund formation, capital markets, finance, litigation, tax, labor and environmental practices, our team is an established leader in this complex, interdisciplinary field. Our seasoned and client-focused lawyers advise on acquisitions, dispositions, financings and recapitalizations; real estate taxation (both domestic and cross-border); public, private and non-traded REITs; joint ventures; fund formations, roll-ups and spin-outs; creditors rights; bankruptcy and restructurings; and BDCs; among other highly specialized fields.
Our London team has been integral in accelerating Proskauer’s international reach and strengthening our core platform. Our London office has become a hub of transactional activity and a private equity powerhouse with a fast-growing reputation for securing high-end mandates in the European market. This is coupled with our provision of best-in-class counsel across investment funds, M&A, capital markets (including high-yield and other debt capital markets work), finance, restructuring, tax, financial services regulation, and labor and employment.