CMS advises Savills on $1,112.5m acquisition of Eastdil Secured
CMS has advised Savills plc, one of the world's leading real estate advisory firms, on its acquisition of global real estate investment bank Eastdil Secured Holdings, LLC for an enterprise value of $1,112.5m.
The transaction significantly enhances Savills' positioning in capital markets advisory and transforms its standing in real estate investment banking. Eastdil Secured’s market-leading real estate investment banking business is highly complementary to Savills broader real estate services offering. The combined group will be the number two advisory firm globally for prime commercial real estate transactions above $100m (MSCI data 2021-2025).
Completion of the transaction is subject to customary regulatory clearances and is expected to occur in Q2/Q3 2026.
Dipesh Santilale, Partner and Co-Head of Corporate at CMS UK, commented: “We’re delighted to support long-standing client Savills on this significant transaction. This transformational deal for Savills required close collaboration across multiple practice areas across CMS including finance and regulatory teams, and across a number of jurisdictions. Our role on this transaction is a testament to the strength of our relationship with Savills, the depth of our corporate practice and sector expertise.”
The CMS team was led by Dipesh Santilale and included James Parkes, Jennifer Ross, Kieran O'Brien, Ryan Arnott, Louise Marchington, Rebecca Botica and Sarah McMaster (Corporate); Katie Duffield, Andreas Göller, Olivia Crundwell and Niamh Neville (Banking); Richard Brown and Kate Bagger (Employment); Sarah McMaster, Sanya Bhambhani and Catherine Merry (Employee Incentives); Russell Hoare, Pippa Tasker, Jean-Francois Willems, Rebecca Robertson-Enciso and Alex Martin (Regulatory); Graham Wrightson, Neil Smith and Hannah Harrison (Pensions); Keith Barber (Real Estate); Sally Clark (Litigation & Arbitration); and Grainne Irvine and Lisa Franco (Media & Technology).
Support on international aspects of the transaction was provided by CMS colleagues in the UAE, France, Italy, Germany and Hong Kong as well as from local counsel in Ireland and Japan. Hogan Lovells US LLP provided Savills with advice on US law aspects (led by Todd Schwartz and Jeff Keitelman) and Latham & Watkins LLP represented Eastdil Secured.
