Global law firm Reed Smith has announced the appointment of partners Robert Porter (formerly a lead partner in Allen & Overy’s direct and indirect real estate practices) and Luke Mines (from Linklaters’ corporate real estate group) to its private equity real estate (PERE) practice in London.

Robert brings to Reed Smith over 30 years' experience in the real estate sector, spanning a range of transactions across Europe and the Middle East on behalf of PERE firms, sovereign funds, property companies and financial institutions.

Luke is expected to join the firm in early 2015 from Linklaters, where he has built his experience in the real estate and private equity space advising clients on a broad range of corporate transactions including private and public M&A, joint ventures, restructurings and equity finance.

Reed Smith has continued to grow its wider real estate offering in response to increasing client demand.

“The real estate sector is booming again but what we are now seeing has a different profile from pre-2007,” commented Reed Smith private equity real estate partner Oliver s’Jacob. “We have seen property becoming an increasingly attractive asset class, with investors on the hunt for yield – while still wary of risking their underlying capital – returning to more traditional, “hard” assets, such as real estate and shipping, both areas in which Reed Smith excels.”

The appointment of Robert and Luke follows that of real estate finance partners Matthew Heaton and Francisca Sepúlveda, who joined the firm from Pinsent Masons and Allen & Overy respectively in the summer.

Oliver s’Jacob added: “With the arrival of Robert and Luke, we will build on the continuing success of our existing private equity real estate platform to provide our clients with a truly industry-focused offering, drawing together the expertise not just of conventional real estate lawyers, but also that of corporate, tax, regulatory, funds, equity and debt finance experts with a real sector knowledge.”

Robert commented: “There are very few global law firms in London with a strong U.S. presence and full service real estate offering. Reed Smith offers an excellent platform in the private equity real estate sector which is hard to match, and I am thrilled to join the team to build on its existing success.”

Reed Smith’s team has advised on a number of the most significant PERE transactions closed in the last quarter including: Oaktree Capital Management and Patrizia on their acquisition of three MEPC business parks for £430 million from Hermes Real Estate; Marathon Asset Management on its £130 million acquisition of 11 former Queens Moat Houses UK Hotels; and Starwood Capital on the formation of its €500 million MStar Europe joint venture with M7 Real Estate and its subsequent successful takeover bid for London-listed property fund, Tamar European Industrial Fund.