Key Takeaways
- • Freshfields hired private equity real estate partners David Seymour and Will Bryant from Ropes & Gray in London, bolstering its cross-border real estate capabilities for institutional investors.
- • Both partners bring over a decade of experience advising tier-one PE funds including Sixth Street, Bain Capital Real Estate, and the Baupost Group on European and global transactions.
- • The duo's sector expertise spans data centres, logistics, retail, and social/educational infrastructure—reflecting the diversification of real estate as the largest asset class in private capital.
- • The hires expand Freshfields' London real estate partner team to six and position the firm to handle increasing complexity in cross-border real estate transactions for PE funds, sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and family offices.
- • Seymour and Bryant will collaborate with Freshfields' global real assets co-head Alexander Watt and UK PE head James Scott as the firm expands its private capital real estate platform.
Summary
Freshfields, a leading global law firm, has recruited two senior private equity real estate partners from Ropes & Gray's London office in a strategic move to strengthen its real estate practice and cross-border transaction capabilities. David Seymour and Will Bryant, both of whom spent more than a decade at Ropes & Gray, join Freshfields with extensive experience advising major institutional investors on complex international real estate investments.
Throughout their tenure at Ropes & Gray, Seymour and Bryant worked extensively with marquee private equity and alternative asset managers, including Sixth Street, Bain Capital Real Estate, and the Baupost Group. Their practice focused on cross-border transactions and counsel to European and global private equity real estate funds, sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and family offices across diversified asset types and investment structures. Both partners previously served as associates at Slaughter and May before joining Ropes in 2012 and 2013 respectively, providing them with deep experience across major institutional law platforms.
The partners' domain expertise encompasses data centres, logistics, major retail, and social and educational investments—sectors reflecting the growing complexity and diversification within real estate as an asset class. Freshfields' leadership emphasized that real estate represents the largest asset class in the private capital space, with an expanding array of cross-border transaction complexities requiring specialized counsel. Niko Schultz-Suechting, head of Freshfields' global real estate practice, stated that the appointments "enhance our strength in London as well as our global capabilities to meet the evolving needs of our clients." Alexander Watt, co-head of Freshfields' global real assets, noted the timing as "pivotal" for expanding the firm's offering across private capital investors in the real estate sector.
At Freshfields, Seymour and Bryant will work alongside Schultz-Suechting, Watt, and James Scott, the firm's UK PE head. The hires bring Freshfields' London real estate partner team to six partners, consolidating the firm's position in serving institutional and alternative asset managers in the competitive cross-border real estate transaction market.
Throughout their tenure at Ropes & Gray, Seymour and Bryant worked extensively with marquee private equity and alternative asset managers, including Sixth Street, Bain Capital Real Estate, and the Baupost Group. Their practice focused on cross-border transactions and counsel to European and global private equity real estate funds, sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and family offices across diversified asset types and investment structures. Both partners previously served as associates at Slaughter and May before joining Ropes in 2012 and 2013 respectively, providing them with deep experience across major institutional law platforms.
The partners' domain expertise encompasses data centres, logistics, major retail, and social and educational investments—sectors reflecting the growing complexity and diversification within real estate as an asset class. Freshfields' leadership emphasized that real estate represents the largest asset class in the private capital space, with an expanding array of cross-border transaction complexities requiring specialized counsel. Niko Schultz-Suechting, head of Freshfields' global real estate practice, stated that the appointments "enhance our strength in London as well as our global capabilities to meet the evolving needs of our clients." Alexander Watt, co-head of Freshfields' global real assets, noted the timing as "pivotal" for expanding the firm's offering across private capital investors in the real estate sector.
At Freshfields, Seymour and Bryant will work alongside Schultz-Suechting, Watt, and James Scott, the firm's UK PE head. The hires bring Freshfields' London real estate partner team to six partners, consolidating the firm's position in serving institutional and alternative asset managers in the competitive cross-border real estate transaction market.
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.