International law firm CMS continues to strengthen and grow its Real Estate and Construction offering with the appointment of partners Helen Johnson and Helen Balliger who both join the Sheffield office.
Specialising in construction and engineering projects, Helen Johnson has extensive expertise across the sector. She has particular experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating contracts on a broad range of complex residential, office, retail and leisure projects, and regularly advises on JV contracts, providing strategic advice for major multi-phase developments. Helen joins the Energy, Projects and Construction (EPC) team from Kennedys, and will be working alongside partners Fraser Askham, Chris Hallam and Nigel Lewis with a focus on the construction sector. Helen is an executive board member of the Sheffield Property Association.
Helen Balliger joins as a real estate partner arriving from DWF, where she spent over four years advising a diverse range of real estate clients based in the UK, Europe and America in relation to their investment and asset management work. Helen specialises in high volume letting work and buying and selling large property portfolios, with a particular focus on the logistics and distribution industry.
Mark Haywood, CMS Real Estate partner and Head of the North, comments: “We’re delighted to welcome both partners to their respective teams. Together they bring significant local experience and dynamism which will be key to the growth and success of our practice across the North. Both will support and strengthen our client offering as clients capitalise on the opportunities both here in the North and further afield.”
Over the last 18 months, the CMS Real Estate team across the North has advised on more than £2.5bn transactions across the logistics and warehouse space. In February, a CMS team led by Nathan Jansen and Gareth Saynor advised Arrow Capital Partners in relation to the largest single asset warehousing acquisition in the UK. The warehouse, located in Silkwood Park, Wakefield, includes the part developed robotics warehousing facility for Amazon.
Helen Johnson commented: “I’m looking forward to working in construction as part of the EPC team at CMS at such an exciting time in its development, helping to grow the business and deliver exceptional and expanded services to clients.”
Helen Balliger commented: “I’m delighted to be joining the market leading Real Estate team at CMS. The firm offers a fantastic UK and international platform which will allow me to better serve clients as they look to expand their investments locally and across Europe.”
These lateral hires follow a series of new appointments and promotions strengthening our One North offering. David Hardy joined the Sheffield Planning practice in September 2022 and Dave Lawson and Martin Garner were promoted to partner this year - Dave in Real Estate Transactions Manchester and Martin in Real Estates Disputes Sheffield.
Marie Scott, CMS Co-Head of Real Estate in the UK, added: “These two new appointments build on the team’s recent expansion and demonstrate our commitment to strengthening UK practices in line with the needs of our clients and strategic ambitions. Our Northern practice has been performing strongly, fuelled by an uptick in local investment and cross-office instructions, and forms an important part of our wider UK offering. The arrival of our two new partners will further bolster our reputation as a first-choice advisor for real estate instructions and we are delighted to have them both on board.”
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