Jessica Patel

As a partner in our real estate and construction team with significant expertise in tax, I advise a wide range of clients including assets and fund managers who are investing and developing real estate in the UK and overseas, working closely with our international member network.

I have extensive knowledge across several sub-sectors within the real estate industry including the private rented sector, student accommodation, healthcare, renewable energy and large-scale development and regeneration projects including joint ventures.

My experience includes the following:

• Structuring UK and international property transactions backed by UK and overseas investors including new fund launches
• Advisor to a major UK private equity backed real estate group since formation (now over £1.5 billion under management) on multiple UK acquisitions and disposals including structuring and diligence on a series of overseas acquisitions
• Advising a significant European private equity backed real estate group on the tax structuring of a £500 million joint venture with a major Indian conglomerate investing in multiple assets including hotels, serviced apartments alongside other hospitality-led projects
• Providing tax structuring and tax due diligence advice on the acquisition of an SPV holding land as a joint venture for development into large scale residential (c5000 homes) and mixed-use schemes in the UK
• Led acquisition due diligence transactions for multiple high value property backed businesses both UK based and international including sharia compliant finance structuring
• Advising on the tax implications of group reorganisations including seeking appropriate clearances from HMRC
• Advising on a corporate reorganisation involving UK and overseas SPVs to convert into a real estate investment trust (REIT)
• Leading the tax compliance affairs of large UK corporate and international groups including complex partnerships

The part of my role that I find most rewarding is having long-standing relations with my clients and being on a journey with them as a business partner. I enjoy anticipating business needs, finding pragmatic commercially focussed solutions and taking a holistic approach.

Additionally, I’m also passionate about supporting people to achieve their career ambitions and hold a mentoring role within my team.

Aside from visiting family in Yorkshire where I grew up, I enjoy winding down at Pilates classes over the weekend and going for long walks with my sister (sometimes a lot more talking than exercise!).