Chris is a Senior Associate in Reed Smith’s dedicated private equity real estate practice in London. Prior to joining the firm, Chris was based in the UAE, where he founded in 2013 and for five years headed-up the UAE real estate team of a global top tier law firm. He has a diverse commercial real estate practice with a particular focus on: (1) big ticket and/or complex structured cross-border real estate investments and divestments, both direct and corporate-wrapped; (2) REITs and real estate funds; (3) hospitality and leisure deals, including the acquisition and development of hotels and negotiating management and franchise arrangements and operating leases. In addition to his work on real estate acquisitions and disposals (at both share and asset level), Chris regularly advises on development deals, real estate finance (at both mezzanine and senior level), landlord and tenant matters, joint ventures, and the real estate aspects of corporate and finance transactions. Geographically, Chris has wide experience of real estate laws, practices and customs in the UK, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Qatar, and has also worked on transactions involving assets across the United States, continental Europe, Africa and the Far East. His clients include financial institutions, sovereign wealth funds, private equity funds, hedge funds, hotel owners and operators, and developers.