- Corporate LawBusinesses do not operate in a vacuum. Especially for the real asset space where the brick and mortar are highly susceptible to environmental issues such as climate change and social factors including the communities organically formed. ESG can directly impact a company's competitive positioning. Hence placing a strong emphasis on the Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) factors is a way to remain competitive in this day and age.
- Mergers and AcquisitionsHu Feng has more than 15 years of professional experience in real estate valuation industry. His specializations include due diligence and property valuation of real estate finance, property investment, mergers and acquisitions.
- Business TransactionsNeil Brookes was appointed the Asia Pacific Head of Capital Markets at Knight Frank in December 2013. He is responsible for undertaking the sale of major assets in the world to investors in the Asia Pacific region. Brookes has over 16 years of experience working on international real estate commercial transactions within the US, Europe and Asia Pacific, and has been responsible for major cross-border transactions totalling over US$3 billion. His main focus has been sourcing investors from Asia Pacific to purchase major commercial properties in key gateway cities. Backed by his solid knowledge and dealings with Asia Pacific-based investors, Brookes has a sound understanding of the financial markets, specifically capital raising and fund structuring relevant to property acquisitions. Some of the key transactions in the first half of 2018 which Brookes has brokered include the disposal of 127 Creek Street in Brisbane and 80 Grenfell Street in Adelaide for Blackstone; and the disposal of 52 Goulburn Street in Sydney for Credit Suisse. Brookes is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. He holds a property economics degree from Oxford Brookes University and a Diploma in Applied Finance & Investment from the Australian Securities Institute. Recent deals: 127 Creek Street, Brisbane – sold to Firmus Capital for AU$130 million (US$95 million) 80 Grenfell Street, Adelaide – sold to Centuria Capital Group & The Leader Capital Group for AU$184.6 million (US$135.7 million) 52 Goulburn Street, Sydney – sold to Arcadia for AU$176 million (US$129 million) 66 Goulburn Street, Sydney – sold to Ascendas-Singbridge for AU$252 million (US$185 million) Mansion Portfolio, UK – sold to Mapletree for £365 million(US$479 million)
- Real Estate TransactionsSimon was a partner with Herbert Smith Freehills and KPMG. His time with KPMG included 5 years in Singapore ending in December 2018. Most of his career involved dealing with real estate transactions. He has worked with listed entities, fund managers, private equity investors, family offices and developers. In the Australian context, he was involved in the initial development of the MIT rules as an industry advocate and remained involved in their ongoing development.
- Tax Law