The Crown Estate has today (26 October) announced its head of legal Rob Booth, will succeed high-profile director of business operations and general counsel Vivienne King in the role as the business undergoes a restructure.
Having joined The Crown Estate in 2012 after eight years at Herbert Smith Freehills, Booth manages the in-house lawyer team and also coordinates the external legal adviser panel.
Set to assume the role at the start of 2016, Booth will report directly to The Crown Estate chief executive Alison Nimmo. He will be responsible for legal service at board level and across the business; including Regent Street and much of St James’s in central London; one of the UK’s largest portfolios of prime regional retail and leisure assets; around 340,000 acres of rural land; as well as the UK seabed and around half the foreshore.
His promotion follows the news earlier this month that King will leave The Crown Estate after 21 years. King has been in the role since 2007 and is responsible for the business’s legal requirements and ensuring compliance with corporate governance, and health and safety. Highly regarded within the in-house legal community, King featured in Legal Business’ original GC Powerlist in 2013 and her five-strong legal team this year featured in Legal Business’s GC Power List: Team Elite.
On his appointment, Booth said: ‘I’m delighted to be taking on this role for one of the most diverse real estate businesses in the world and with £13bn of assets under management. I look forward to leading our excellent team of in-house lawyers and external advisors, in continuing to deliver an exemplary service that supports our business in outperforming the market.’
sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk
