Real estate and projects deals round-up

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (David Lewis) advised Scottish Widows on the £77.7m sale of Cannock Shopping Centre in Staffordshire, Green Lanes Shopping Centre in Barnstaple and Eastgate Shopping Centre in Gloucester. Eversheds (Richard Stephens) acted for the puchaser Dunwilco (951), a joint venture between HBOS, Merrill Lynch and Catalyst Capital.

Lawrence Graham (Andrew Wade) advised the Universities Superannuation Scheme on the sale of the Beechwood Shopping Centre in Cheltenham to Merrill Lynch Property Fund for £35.1m. Merrill Lynch advised by Berwin Leighton Paisner.

Browne Jacobson (Oliver Pritchard) acted for Porter Black Holdings on the purchase of 17 pubs from Regents Inns. The deal was funded by the Bank of Scotland, while Carlsberg-Tetley Brewing provided additional investment.

Bird & Bird (Jonathan Baker, Andrew Stobbart) advised Neptune Developments in relation to the construction and provision of serviced civic offices for Denbighshire County Council under a PFI agreement. Denbighshire represented by Nabarro Nathanson (Ray Ambrose).

SJ Berwin (Jon Vivian) acted on behalf of Brixton Estates on the disposal of its leasehold interest in Kingsway Business Park in Woking to Pearl Assurance for £17.6m. CMS Cameron McKenna (Mark Heighton) advised Pearl.

Stevens & Bolton (Garry Brett) advised Conair Group on the purchase of its headquarters in Fleet, Surrey from Helical Bar. Lawrence Graham acted for Helical.

Morgan LaRoche (Kevin Thomas) represented RGD Thomas on a £15m reorganisation of its property portfolio, including the £8m acquisition of premises from the BBC Pension Trust. Nabarro Nathanson (Caroline Maude) acted for the BBC Pension Trust. Hugh James (Matthew Tossell) advised lender Nationwide Building Society.