Overview
Michael James is a partner in the Real Estate department of the Paul Hastings London office. Mr. James’ practice focuses on corporate real estate transactions. He has experience in several areas including structured acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures, real estate finance, fund investments, and hotel acquisitions and operations. Mr. James has developed a leading reputation in the corporate real estate space and is the "go-to" adviser for a number of major European clients.
Mr. James has significant experience based on cross-border structures and transactions involving jurisdictions such as Luxembourg, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Jersey.
Recognitions
- Named a 'Leading Individual' for Commercial Property: Investment - The Legal 500 UK 2023
- Named a 'Leading Individual' for Hospitality and Leisure - The Legal 500 UK 2023
Education
- University of Nottingham, LLB
Representations
Starwood Capital
- Purchase of the Think portfolio consisting of four extended-stay apartments and a residential complex consisting of over 100 luxury apartments in London as well as multiple retail units, offices, and restaurants.
- Purchase of the Principal Hayley hotel portfolio (23 hotels).
- Purchase of the De Vere Venues Group of hotels and conference centers (30 hotels).
- Sale of the 258-room Ace Hotel in London, Shoreditch for over £125 million to the Deerbrook Group.
- Purchase of a grade one listed multi-let office building consisting of nine floors in the center of Liverpool. The property is being acquired to be developed.
- Sale of the Melia portfolio to L&R.
- Creation of a joint venture arrangement in respect of the Yotel group.
Benson Elliot/Walton Street.
- Purchase of an eight hotel pan-European hotel portfolio from Host.
- Sale of the Marriot Hotel, Brussels and a 57-unit deluxe residential apartment block in the center of Brussels.
- Sale of the Pullman Bercy Hotel, Paris.
- Acquisition of Hotel Diagonal in Barcelona.
Invesco
- Purchase and leaseback of the Mercure Hotel Rome and the La Rustica, Rome.
- Purchase and leaseback of the Mercure Hotel, Bratislava.
- Purchase of the Novotel Hotel, Munich, the Novotel Hotel, Hannover, the Premium Innside, Frankfurt, and the Lindner Airport Hotel, Dusseldorf.
- Purchase and leaseback of La Defense Pullman, Paris.
Goldman Sachs/Tifco
- Purchase of a portfolio of 12 hotels in Ireland.
- Management agreements for the first Hard Rock Hotel in Ireland.
Internos
- Purchase and management back of various hotels across France with the Accor Group.
- Purchase of various hotels in Germany.
Evans Randall
- Purchase and subsequent sale of The Drapers Gardens Building for over £250 million.
- Purchase and subsequent sale of the Milton Gate offices for over £150 million.
- Sale of 25 North Colonnade (the FCA headquarters) to Blackstone for over £150 million.
- Purchase of 90 Fetter Lane, London through a joint venture arrangement.
- Joint venture arrangements relating to the holding of the Gherkin.
- Purchase and subsequent sale of over £400 million of offices and other use buildings across Europe, including the Telecoms Tower, Munich.
- Purchase and subsequent sale of 10 Old Burlington Street.
Schroders
- Sale of The Chiswick Park Complex by way of a corporate sale of the Jersey incorporated property holding unit trust to Blackstone for over £450 million.
- Purchase of multiple real estate assets across the U.K. including offices, retail parks, shopping centers, solar panel parks, nightclubs, and residential apartment blocks.
Matrix
- Sale of the IZD Tower, Vienna and various other assets around Europe.
Involvement
- Solicitor, England and Wales