Simon is an International Partner and leads our focus in Asia from our Hong Kong office. Simon is also the Head of Real Estate and Hotels & Hospitality across Asia and the Middle East.
Simon’s main areas of expertise are large scale mixed-use development and redevelopment projects, real estate investment (both commercial and residential property) as well as real estate management and finance (conventional and Islamic). Simon also has a significant hotels & hospitality practice.
Having spent nearly 15 years in the Middle East, Simon has lived and worked in all three jurisdictions where we have offices; Bahrain, Qatar and Dubai. Simon is now based in Hong Kong but continues to be involved in our Middle East practice.
Simon specialises in real estate. His main areas of expertise are master planned development projects as well as city centre redevelopment, real estate investment, management and finance. Simon is also recognised as an expert in relation to Hotel & Hospitality work – particularly in relation to development, investment and management of hotels – having advised on nearly 50 transactions in the last decade.
In addition, Simon regularly advises our Asia and Middle East clients with their outbound investments into the UK in relation to both commercial as well as residential property.
Simon acts for a variety of developers, financial institutions, government and quasi-government entities, sovereign wealth funds and private clients (including Royal Family members) across Asia and the Middle East.
Simon is admitted to practise in England and Wales. Simon is also a Registered Foreign Lawyer with the Hong Kong Law Society and is licensed to practice in Dubai with the Legal Affairs Directorate.
Experience
- Advising Bahrain Marina Development Company, the master developer of a 300,000 sqm mixed-use master planned development known as the Bahrain Marina Development (Project) with a GDV of circa USD 1 billion and comprising retail, residential and hospitality components. We have advised on all real estate and construction related aspects in relation to the Project including the appointment of the Shangri-La as the hotel operator for the iconic anchor hotel component. Our work on the Project was recognized by the Middle East Legal Awards where we were awarded Real Estate Team Of The Year 2019.
- Advising Gulf Hotels Group (a hotel owner and operator listed on the Bahrain stock exchange) with all legal aspects their acquisition of a 270 key hotel in Business Bay, Dubai. This was a key acquisition for Gulf Hotels Group given the size of the property and the fact that this was their first hotel in the UAE.
- Advising a multitude of internationally based private clients in relation to UK property investment. Work has included acting on the sale of two commercial properties in London (2 Lucan Place and 154 Bayswater) as well as UK residential transactions with an estimated cumulative value of over GBP 75m.
Background & education
University of Keele degree in Economics and Politics 1997, College of Law Guildford, England 1998.