James Esterkin

James Esterkin is a Partner in the Firm’s London Real Estate Finance practice. He advises international private equity sponsors, portfolio companies and other top-tier investors in connection with the financing of U.K. and European real estate and related investments. James specializes in complex cross-border real estate acquisition and development financing, non-performing loan financing arrangements and the restructuring of real estate related secured debt.

Select experience (including prior to joining Simpson Thacher) includes representing:

• Bain Capital Credit on the financing of: the acquisition of a €1.4 billion portfolio of non-performing loans in Greece from Piraeus Bank; the acquisition of a €700 million portfolio of Spanish NPLs and properties from Kutxabank; and the staged acquisition of a portfolio of residential and commercial properties in Italy from Intesa (formerly forming part of Intesa’s non-performing loan book)
• Brookfield on the financing of its bid to acquire the £4 billion+ iQ student accommodation portfolio; on its €1.089 billion recommended cash offer for Hibernia REIT; and its £3 billion consortium approach for Intu plc
• Blackstone on various pan-European logistics financings
• TDR Capital on the £638m senior/mezzanine refinancing of 1,000 pubs owned and operated by Stonegate Group (the UK’s largest pub owner/operator)
• Blackstone on the extension of a €300m loan secured over the Messeturm office tower in Frankfurt
• Brookfield on the acquisition of edyn (formerly Saco) from Oaktree, a premier serviced apartment group, and subsequent representation of edyn in relation to the acquisition and development financing of properties in the U.K. and Europe
• GIC on the acquisition financing of a 30-asset portfolio of Irish logistics assets in the context of GIC’s partnership with Exeter Property Group; the acquisition financing of a 1900 unit €300m residential property portfolio in Finland in partnership with Orange Capital Partners; and the refinancing of a portfolio of purpose-built student accommodate assets in London in partnership with Unite
• GLP on the financing of its c.€2.4 billion acquisition of European logistics business IDI Gazeley from Brookfield; the financings of new build logistics assets in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain; and the financing of its c.€1 billion acquisition of Goodman Group’s CEE logistics portfolio