James Fry

James has over 25 years’ experience across the commercial real estate sector. His expertise spans investment acquisitions and disposals, development, asset management, secured lending and end user/occupier matters. Throughout his career, he has acted for a diverse range of clients, both domestic and off-shore, from institutional investors to family offices and entrepreneurs.

James has a long held interest in the hospitality sector and has a wealth of experience advising hotel owners and operators (typically privately owned, branded and unbranded and ranging from single assets to larger portfolios). James frequently works alongside colleagues in other departments (with similar in-depth knowledge of the hotel sector) handling the complete “life-cycle” of a hotel, offering clients a truly full service offering. Whilst James’s practice is UK-focussed, he has also been involved in hotel projects in Africa, Mauritius and the Caribbean.

James has been recognised in legal directories as a leading individual within the hotel and leisure sectors.

• The acquisition, corporate structuring, development and multiple refinancings of the 500,000 + sq ft mixed use Minories Estate, Aldgate for 4C Group. This has been over a 12 year project to date and has so far seen the conversion of a former office building and opening of a 340 room Hilton “Canopy” branded hotel, the construction of an 85 unit apartment building and a joint development agreement to develop a 200,000 sq ft office building.
• Acting for a large Indian real estate, transport and hospitality company on its original (£92.5m) acquisition of 5 Strand (the former office headquarters of Land Securities) and its subsequent disposal (to Whitbread Plc) for £125m.
• The original land acquisition and subsequent development of 100 Clerkenwell Road (a former petrol station) into a 225 bedroom Yotel branded hotel.
• Acting for an off-shore family office property investment company on acquisitions, disposals, refinancings and management work for a UK property portfolio which has included the sale of a retail park in Tottenham, the sale of a development site on Wembley High Road and the sale of a substantial office building (the former headquarters of Universal Music) on High Street Kensington.
• Being part of a multi-discipline team advising the Esporta group of companies on its disposal of 17 Virgin Active racquet clubs to British Land.
• Acting for a Turkish investor on the acquisition of one of the restaurants within the Old War Office/ Raffles Hotel development on Whitehall.