David Johnston

David has over 25 years’ experience advising on a huge range of transactions across the real estate sector. He is equally comfortable advising investors, developers, end-users and funders. He regularly acts for inward investors into the UK, particularly large clients based in South Africa and Asia. He also has a number of clients within the charity sector and advises trustees on their asset management, development and regeneration portfolios.

The breadth of his experience makes him ideally placed to anticipate what is needed to deliver transactions, ensuring his clients receive focused, practical advice to deliver their commercial goals.

David’s calm demeanour, legal knowledge and grasp of context, fused with his ability to communicate succinctly and clearly, have proved invaluable in delivering transactions and advice for clients, whether complicated, high value or strategically important.

He also advises on the impact of the changing climate, both physical and political, on private and public sustainable initiatives. In particular, he has been advising on green development and leasing and the effects of the changing regulatory climate on the institutional real estate sector.

• Advising IJM Corporation Berhad on the acquisition of a £72.5 million long leasehold interest of 25 Finsbury Circus, it’s subsequent £150 million sustainability-led refurbishment and reconfiguration with a projected gross development value of c.£420 million, together with the exchange of a pre-letting agreement of over 135,000 sqft with a global law firm.
• Advising IJM Corporation Berhad on its Innova joint venture with Network Rail’s property arm – targeting rail-side schemes across four London boroughs totalling over £3bn in development value.
• Advising South African investor Zeno on the negotiation of a long-term reversionary lease deal with existing tenant Standard Chartered Bank at 1 Basinghall Avenue and ongoing redevelopment. With a vital role as the bank’s global HQ, negotiations enabled Standard Chartered to remain in occupation during the building’s refurbishment to deliver a market leading office space with BREEAM Excellent certification.
• Advising an international investor on a £30m complex acquisition and occupational lease re-gear of a portfolio of commercial properties in Borehamwood located within a major regeneration area.
• Advising a privately owned property company with a unique freehold portfolio on over £150m of finance transactions, PropCo/OpCo lease structures and the renegotiation of Hotel Management Agreements with global hotel operators in respect of major hotels in London and the North West.
• Advising Delancey on property law aspects of a CPO compensation claim following six years of negotiation and development feasibility advice using experience and knowledge of over 20 years involvement on the various redevelopment proposals for a major London retail centre, culminating to a reference to the Upper Tribunal in February 2025.

• Alumni of UK Green Building Council’s Sustainability Leadership programme at Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.
• Former member of the UK Green Building Council’s Policy Committee.
• Trustee of the Revo Educational Trust and teaches property law to surveyors and property managers at Southampton Solent University.
• Former chair and longstanding member of Revo’s Sustainability Committee