Global law firm Goodwin announced today that Justin Cornelius has joined the firm’s Real Estate Investment Funds practice as partner in the London office.
“As the real estate funds market continues to grow in London and Europe, Justin’s deep fund formation and transactional experience combined with the strengths of our existing team enable us to continue to provide best-in-class counsel to real estate investment managers and investors,” said Samantha Lake Coghlan, co-chair of the London office. “Following recent significant growth across our private equity, technology and life sciences practices in London, we are thrilled to bolster our real estate industry team with Justin and are pleased to welcome him to Goodwin.”
With over 20 years’ experience working in the investment management industry across multi-jurisdictions, Cornelius focuses on the establishment and operation of unlisted investment funds, private equity real estate funds, joint ventures and high value real estate mergers and acquisitions. He advises fund managers on structuring their management businesses, funds, equity raisings, carried interest arrangements, restructurings, investments, co-investments and exits. Cornelius has repeatedly been highly ranked in leading legal directories including in Chambers UK 2020 and Legal 500 UK 2020. His joining means Goodwin is the only law firm with three partners listed in the top two bands for ‘Investment Funds: Real Estate’ in Chambers UK and with three of the six ‘Leading Individuals’ listed in Legal 500 UK for Real Estate Funds.
Cornelius received his law degree from the University of Exeter and is admitted to practice as a solicitor in England and Wales.
Cornelius can be reached at 44.207.447.4206 and jcornelius@goodwinlaw.com.
Goodwin has one of the largest and most well-known global fund formation practices, representing real estate and private equity investment managers in raising or deploying capital. Goodwin’s European Private Investment Funds team’s headcount has more than doubled since 2017 into one of the largest specialist investment fund formation teams in Europe, with expert teams in London, Paris and Luxembourg. This team comprises nearly 50 lawyers and is currently handling approximately €50 billion of fund formation mandates.
The firm’s nearly 200 Real Estate Industry Group lawyers around the world help clients make the most of every investment decision – from private fund formation and all types of real estate transactions to REIT and real estate mergers and acquisitions. Within the group, Goodwin has a PropTech, an innovative platform that brings together the firm’s deep expertise in real estate and technology.
The group is consistently ranked as a top advisor, including “Investment Fund Formation and Management Firm of the Year for 2020” by Legal 500, “Real Estate Law Firm of the Year 2019” by Best Lawyers and the “2019 Leading Real Estate Law Firm” by Commercial Property Executive.
In London, the Real Estate Industry team has recently advised on some of the highest-profile and most complex transactions in the market, including representing:
- GreenOak Advisors (Jersey) Limited, an affiliate of long-standing firm client BentallGreenOak, on its appointment as manager of the £1 billion West End of London Property Unit Trust (“WELPUT”) and the subsequent conversion of WELPUT from an open-ended to a closed-ended fund;
- Medical Properties Trust, on the acquisition of a portfolio of 30 acute care hospital facilities, valued at approximately £1.5 billion;
- BentallGreenOak on the sale of a portfolio of 42 premium logistics assets across four Western European jurisdictions for a consideration of around €1.2 billion; and
- Ares Management on the structuring and establishment of Ares European Real Estate Fund V SCSp, which raised €1.78 billion
Cornelius can be reached at 44.207.447.4206 and jcornelius@goodwinlaw.com.
Contacts
- /en/people/l/lake_coghlan-samantha
Samantha Lake Coghlan
Partner