TLT acquires specialist Glasgow commercial real estate firm Leslie Wolfson & Co

The deal adds three partners to TLT in Scotland: senior partner Howard Beach who advises on a wide range of commercial real estate work including investment purchases, sales, leasing and banking & security work for public and private property companies, leisure operators retailers and banks.

Mr Beach is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in commercial leasing.  

Partner Andrew McCowan who acts for a range of UK-based and overseas property clients and has considerable experience of working in most aspects of commercial real estate practice, including investment purchases and sales, commercial leasing transactions (acting for both landlords and tenants), secured lending and property development.

Partner Donna Strong who is experienced in all aspects of commercial real estate with particular emphasis on investment work, commercial leasing and portfolio management. Donna regularly acts for institutional investors, pension funds, retailers, leisure operators, developers and funders as well as owner-occupiers. 

John Paul Sheridan, TLT’s head of Scotland, said: “We are committed to growing the team in Scotland and building a market-leading service for clients in the sectors where we specialise, and this acquisition is a clear example of our drive to deliver that. 

“Leslie Wolfson is a great fit with what we are trying to achieve in Scotland and across the UK. Their expertise will further enhance the support we can offer clients.” 

Mr Beach commented: “The move enables us to more effectively support our existing clients by drawing on the expertise of a full-service UK firm with on-the-ground expertise in all three UK legal jurisdictions. With an emphasis on partner-led service, commerciality and sector experience, TLT was a natural fit for us.

“We are delighted to join TLT at such an exciting time in the firm’s growth and look forward to working with John Paul and the wider TLT team to develop the firm’s client offering.” 

Maria Connolly, head of real estate at TLT, added: “This move is another boost to our strong UK real estate offer and a key part of our strategy to continue to build leading expertise in this sector. 

“The UK real estate market remains resilient in spite of some of the wider economic challenges and we are continuing to build our expertise across the UK to support our clients with opportunities in the market.” 

This is the latest addition to TLT’s Scotland practice since disputes partner John Paul Sheridan took over the leadership of the firm in Scotland in February 2018. Other 2018 hires include clean energy real estate partner Nick Shenken from Pinsent Masons and banking & finance partner Douglas Gourlay from Weightmans.