HSF appoints Chases to lead real estate team

Herbert Smith Freehills, the London-based law firm, has appointed Paul Chases as head of its corporate real estate team.

He joined HSF in 2004 and served as senior associate for the past 13 years. It is understood he will begin his new role on May 1.

Chases has specialized in corporate real estate and worked on a number of high-profile and complex real estate transactions in the UK market. In his time at HSF, he has worked with private equity funds, institutional investors, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, banks and high-net-worth individuals from around the world.

He acted for Oxford Properties on its joint venture with British Land for the development of the Cheesegrater this year. He also instructed London & Continental Railways on the sale of its interests in the King’s Cross Central Partnership to Australia’s largest pension fund, AustralianSuper. In addition, Chases worked with CPPIB, the Canadian pension fund, on three projects in the UK, including a £1 billion mixed-use development in Victoria, London.

“Paul has been an integral part of our business for a number of years,” said Don Rowlands, partner and head of real estate for UK, US and EMEA. “His promotion builds on the success of our market-leading corporate real estate practice and demonstrates the firm’s commitment to real estate as one of its core sectors. His promotion is very well deserved and we are delighted to welcome him to the partnership.”