Pinsent Masons appoints Joel Kordan to real estate team

International law firm Pinsent Masons has appointed Joel Kordan as a Partner to the firm’s real estate team.

Joel joins from the Birmingham office of Shoosmiths, which he helped to launch in 2003 and led until 2011. He specialises in large scale commercial real estate development, with a particular focus on major office, retail and industrial developments.

He has a wealth of expertise in acting for the public and private sectors and advising on the structuring of property developments via a variety of joint venture structures, including local asset-backed vehicles (LABVs).

Tom Johnson, Partner and Head of Pinsent Masons’ 40-strong Birmingham-based real estate team, said:

“Joel Kordan is a very entrepreneurial commercial property lawyer with significant relationships with regional, national and international developers, investors, contractors and blue chip corporates. He has a deep and well established network of senior and influential contacts in the Midlands real estate market, as well as a proven track record as a dealmaker and heavyweight in the region, and we are delighted to have him on board as we continue to expand our capabilities and our services to our clients.”

Adrian Barlow, Partner and Head of Pinsent Masons’ UK real estate team said:

“Joel joins us at a time when the market is generating many opportunities across the growth sectors and markets in which we operate. With our UK and international reach, including the strength and depth of our offering in key legal disciplines supporting our real estate practice such as property, corporate, construction, planning, environment, procurement, litigation and tax, Pinsent Masons provides the ideal platform for Joel, with his expertise and network, as part of our team to capitalise on these opportunities”.

This appointment represents the latest in a series of enhancements to the firm’s Real Estate capability and offering, which is now the largest UK real estate team of any firm, with over 300 commercial property lawyers. Earlier this year the firm recruited government and infrastructure planning specialist Robbie Owen and his team from Bircham Dyson Bell, while four lawyers were promoted to partner in May.

Over the past year the firm has acted on some of the most significant transactions in the market, advising ABP China (Holdings) on a £1bn deal with the Greater London Authority on the re-development of Royal Albert Docks and continuing to act for Capital & Counties Plc on the £8bn, 15m sq ft redevelopment of Earl’s Court, London’s second largest development project after the Olympics.