LB 100 firm Winckworth Sherwood has bolstered its real estate team with the hire of Dentons’ global co-head of real estate Andrew Bedford, a departure which comes just months after Dentons lost fellow global real estate co-head Eric Rosedale to US firm Greenberg Traurig.
Having joined Winckworth’s 80-strong team in early November, Bedford specialises in commercial real estate and advising on office, retail, investment, acquisition and development transactions, and large-scale regeneration schemes, and for ten years has advised supermarket giant Sainsbury’s on its store acquisitions programme.
This year saw Winckworth impressively move 11 places into 85th position in the LB 100. The firm enjoyed 19% revenue growth up to £30.5m alongside a 63% rise in profit per lawyer to £83,000 while profit per equity partner increased 44% to £742,000.
On Rosedale’s exit in June to Greenberg Traurig’s London office, a Dentons spokesperson said the firm was ‘working on streamlining the regional practice group leadership, moving from multi-partner leadership to single partner leadership’.
The firm’s 600-strong global real estate practice is now co-chaired by Prague-based partner Evan Lazar, who recruited Rosedale 15 years ago, while Warsaw-based Pawel Debowski chairs the European real estate group.
Commenting on his move to Winckworth, Bedford said the firm has ‘consistently demonstrated real commitment to the London real estate market. The firm has an outstanding real estate offer and built a terrific team at a time when other firms have focused elsewhere.
He added: ‘Many large regeneration projects have significant residential components and I see a great opportunity in the compatibility of our respective practices’.
sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk
