Anthony Goodmaker awarded Property Lawyer of the Year at the YN Property Awards 2024
1 March 2024
News
Following the announcement in early February that Anthony Goodmaker, Partner in Forsters’ Commercial Real Estate team, was made a finalist in the YN Property Awards, we are delighted to share he has since been awarded Property Lawyer of the Year 2024.
This award is testament to his dedication to his work and his clients. Speaking of the award, Anthony says “I am delighted to win this award at an event which raises significant funds for an amazing charity in the community. I am honoured to have been chosen by the judging panel in what has been a difficult year in the real estate industry. We hear a lot about this being the era of the specialist lawyer but hopefully this award also shows that there’s nothing wrong with being a generalist too, especially in this market!”
The YN Property Awards are an opportunity for professionals across real estate to come together and celebrate industry successes while raising vital funds for Norwood, the oldest Jewish charity in the UK. Each year Norwood supports more than 2,500 people, including some of the Jewish community’s most vulnerable children, adults and families. From specialist therapy to counselling to parent programmes, their work is invaluable. We are very pleased to continue supporting this worthy cause.
Well done to Anthony, alongside all the other winners and finalists for their achievements.
Anthony Goodmaker shortlisted for Lawyer of the Year at the YN Property Awards 2024
5 February 2024
News
We are delighted to announce that Anthony Goodmaker, Partner in Forsters’ Commercial Real Estate team, has been shortlisted for Property Lawyer of the Year at the YN Property Awards 2024.
The annual YN Property Awards celebrate industry achievements across the property sector and raise vital funds for Norwood, the oldest Jewish charity in the UK. Founded in 1795, Norwood supports people with learning disabilities and autism, and offers support to vulnerable children and families.
Forsters’ Student Accommodation Team Advises Far East Orchard on Southampton Purchase
1 June 2023
News
Acting for Singapore-based property firm Far East Orchard, we are delighted to announce that our Student Accommodation team has completed on the purchase of the Emily Davies Halls of Residence, a purpose-built student accommodation development in Southampton, for £13.9 million.
This transaction involved input from across the firm with the team made up of Partners and Associates from Commercial Real Estate, Construction, Planning, Residential, Corporate, Employment and Tax.
The purpose built student accommodation sector continues to show its resilience in the face of current market uncertainty, with such assets proving ever popular with overseas investors.
To find out more about the work we do in this sector, click here.
International Women’s Day 2023 – Anthony Goodmaker
7 March 2023
News
To celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) 2023, Forsters is delighted to be releasing a series of Q&As with some of our partners and employees who go above and beyond to champion equity across our business.We hope they will provide an insight into what drives those individuals who are really pushing the equity agenda forward.
Anthony Goodmaker is a Partner in our Commercial Real Estate team and member of our Working Parents & Carers network. Anthony was the first male employee at Forsters to take shared parental leave in 2017, and did this again in 2019. Read more about Anthony below:
1. Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a partner in Forsters Commercial Real Estate team, having trained at the firm and have now been here for over 10 years. I am a member of our Working Parents and Carers group, and I am particularly passionate about the role that men play in supporting gender equality through taking on a bigger share of parental or caring responsibilities.
2. Tell us about your most inspiring female role models (whether at Forsters, clients, or beyond).
My wife. She has to deal with the all too common conundrum facing working parents with young kids (and particularly mothers) – how to be an engaged parent while meeting the demands of a busy job. Is it possible to do both without making huge sacrifices? Do financial considerations (such as the cost of childcare and living) mean that parents even have a choice about the direction of their careers, one way or the other? How can society better help women to have a family and a successful career (if that is what the individual wants)?
3. What do you think are the most effective steps men can take to help achieve gender equity in the workplace?
Embrace childcare and push employers for greater entitlement to paid parental leave for dads.
4. In what areas do you feel there is work to be done?I think there is a danger that mothers can feel pressure to both be a great parent and also achieve real, professional success (i.e. parent like they don’t have a job or work like they don’t have kids), or put their career first because of the idea that this is what being a progressive woman is all about. Society shouldn’t stigmatise people who drop out of professional services because they don’t want to have to balance a high-profile job with being a parent. Separately, too many men still see childcare as the mum’s main responsibility, which puts huge pressure on women. Time for men to grow up and share the role!
5. What benefits do you feel working at a firm with a gender balanced partnership?
Gender equality is not just about having an equal number of male and female partners, although this is a big step. What I find particularly inspiring at Forsters is that we promoted two female senior associates to partner in 2022 who have young children already, rather than following the more typical route of delaying having a family to make Partner first. That helps model an alternative pathway to promotion that might have previously been lacking.
6. Do you think of embracing equity at work, and pushing forward the equity agenda, falls equally on both genders? If not, what impact do you think this has on women?
My thoughts on this mainly concern equitable treatment around parenting. It’s so important that men support women having kids whenever they choose to do it. Don’t belittle the impact on someone’s career, and support people through this (as managers, and partners!). People must also be free to make these decisions without ridicule that has sometimes been part of workplaces – those snide jokes about having a second or third child etc. The impact of these comments should be understood and not minimised. 7. Are we doing enough to support women in the workplace?
I don’t see many, if any, female (or male!) lawyers at Forsters working a 3-day week or doing a job share arrangement. Perhaps just having a 50% female partnership and a low gender pay gap isn’t enough anymore, and we need to look at other inclusive and progressive ways to support our most talented female lawyers to juggle work and life after having children.
Bisnow UK Life Sciences Real Estate Annual Conference – 6 Key Takeaways
6 March 2023
News
On Thursday 2 March 2023 Construction Partner, Emily Holdstock, and Commercial Real Estate Partner, Anthony Goodmaker, attended the Bisnow UK Life Sciences Real Estate Annual Conference at the White City Innovation District.
The overwhelming message from the many industry-leading speakers was one of optimism and growth – here are their 6 takeaways from the event:
1. Exponential Growth
Whilst some predicted the boom of this sector a decade ago, the pandemic has no doubt accelerated the growth of Life Sciences as a key real estate asset class. 5 years ago there was next to no lab space in London. Now it is really starting to rival Oxford and Cambridge for dominance in the market. In truth, all three will prevail together as ageing populations and increased Government investment in healthcare drive the continued demand for Life Sciences real estate in the UK. And the shortage of current space remains chronic in spite of a significantly increased development pipeline for the coming years.
2. Know Your Occupiers
Whilst most startups and university research spin-offs just require a simple lab and small adjacent office space as a starter for 10, their needs can quickly change as investment funds pour in. The need for a more specialised and bespoke workspace can arise overnight and so being nimble and being in a position to provide a variety of facilities for a variety of tenants on the same campus is key to building long term relationships with occupiers.
3. Co-Location is Key
The life sciences ecosystem is crucial for companies in sharing infrastructure, facilities and knowledge. A single life sciences building without a surrounding cluster of chemists, biologists, biochemists, engineers, researchers, universities and hospitals may be less attractive to smaller start-ups who rely on the collaborative benefits that clustering brings. Innovation districts are not just a buzzword, but an operational need.
4. ESG Concerns
Life sciences buildings are intensive users of energy – up to 5 times more than a standard office. But unsurprisingly for a sector whose users lead the way in innovation and technology, things are starting to change as the push for increased digitisation and reduced reliance on gas will help keep the sector on track to meet Government sustainability requirements.
5. Live Work Play
The development of new Life Sciences clusters in the UK, particularly new facilities in the outskirts of Oxford and Cambridge, must be accompanied by sufficient provision of adequate housing, transport, healthcare, schools and nurseries. Young people are the main workforce for this sector and suitable 24/7 infrastructure is needed to ensure that key Life Sciences locations are attractive to them as a place to live, work and play.
6. Institutionalisation
Real estate must not become the blocker that restricts the output of this fast-paced sector. All the new space required to meet the growing demand must be high tech and complex, and the real estate sector needs to get its head round it quickly. Site and sector specific knowledge for owning and operating such highly complex assets means that while institutional capital wants to be in the sector, there are still real barriers to entry. Unlocking the full potential of institutional investment will be key to ensuring that that demand can be met sooner rather than later.
We are delighted to announce that Forsters has been nominated for the Real Estate Law Firm of the Year Award at the YN Property Awards 2023.
The annual YN Property Awards celebrate industry achievements across a selection of categories and raise vital funds for Norwood, the oldest Jewish charity in the UK. Their work provides a lifeline to children and families in crisis, as well as lifelong support to people and their families with learning disabilities and autism.
The nomination bolsters the firm’s market-leading reputation and recognises the quality and complexity of the work carried out across our real estate team.
Head of Commercial Real Estate, Andrew Crabbie, commented: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted for this award. Forsters is, and will always remain, a firm with real estate at the centre of its practice so it is incredibly pleasing to receive this impartial recognition of the team’s work.”
The winner will be announced at the Norwood dinner on 20 February.
Student Housing Conference 2022 – what did we learn?
12 May 2022
News
Commercial Real Estate Partners, Ronan Ledwidge and Anthony Goodmaker, were back at this year’s Student Housing Conference – an in-person event held at the Grand Connaught Rooms on Wednesday 11 May, which brought together all the biggest names in the UK student accommodation market.
The last few years have taught us that the sector has a proven, resilient track record and that purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) is now considered a mainstream asset class: it’s no longer viewed as “alternative” but as a key investment opportunity by many prominent UK investment funds, whilst also attracting significant interest from the international investment community.
But what are the main talking points for 2022 and beyond?
Lack of Supply – the limited availability of operational stock is the main issue for the investment market, pushing investors into the development funding world as they are forced to take on greater risk to secure their chosen assets. The problem is exacerbated further in key locations where it is notoriously difficult to get planning permission for new PBSA schemes.
Rising Costs – by no means unique to the PBSA market, but a perfect storm is likely to increase price pressure in this sector. Land prices continue to rise due to lack of supply, in spite of increasing build costs. Add to that the general cost of living crisis, with focus on the price of utilities and whether those will be passed on to PBSA’s end users and you are left wondering quite what the budgetary constraints of tomorrow’s students will look like in the face of these rising costs and how that will impact the market.
Sustainability – ESG credentials have long been spoken about in the student sector, and with good reason. Perhaps no other sector can count its end users – the students – as being so intrinsically engaged and sensitised by the climate crisis and general green agenda. Not only do they demand action, they expect it. But whilst there is concern that implementing these requirements comes at a cost, the data suggests that location remains, above all others, the number one determining factor when it comes to students choosing their accommodation. Will we see this change as the ESG requirements of tomorrow’s students become more and more important?
Despite these challenges, the outlook remains overwhelmingly positive. Investment in PBSA will continue to grow as funds, both domestic and overseas, look to place further capital in this sector. And even the local authorities are starting to adjust to the growing demand for new, high-quality student accommodation in key locations – Bristol City Council has recently announced new policy to facilitate the development of PBSA and other shared living accommodation in the city. If other sought-after localities can follow suit, perhaps we will see more supply, quicker than we otherwise might have expected.
They will join leading players in the student housing sector for a discussion on future opportunities within student accommodation property.
Forsters Student Accommodation team have a strong track record of working with investors, real estate funds and developers within the student housing and purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) sector and our ability to provide a full range of services – from site acquisition, to ongoing strategic management and disposal – puts us in a strong position to provide strategic and commercial legal advice to ensure best value is achieved.
Read more about our dedicated Student Accommodation team here.
Forsters, the leading London real estate and private client law firm, announces today that it has promoted six Senior Associates to Partner and four to Counsel. This is the single largest round of promotions that the firm has recorded in in its 24-year history. Forsters now has 66 partners and 420 other members of staff.
Emily Exton, Managing Partner at Forsters, commented: “We have promoted 10 talented lawyers from across our practice areas, reflecting the fantastic talent pool we have at Forsters and the strength of the firm’s business. Each of these exceptional individuals has already established a strong market profile and has a track record of providing technically excellent advice to our growing client base while also contributing to our positive working culture. I look forward to working with them as they continue to develop in their new roles.”
James Brockhurst, new Partner in our Private Client team, commented: “Forsters is an extremely powerful player in my sector, private wealth, so I am delighted to be joining the partnership. I will be working with clients and intermediaries in the offshore market, and especially look forward to promoting our business in the Middle East. Alongside this, I will continue to work on a deep level in the cryptoassets space, as that industry grows rapidly.”
Jade Capper, new Partner in our Commercial Real Estate team, commented: “I am delighted to have been promoted to Partner during my 10th year at Forsters. Having trained at Forsters, I am excited to be embarking on this new role at the firm and to continue working with our brilliant Commercial Real Estate team and fantastic clients on a broad range of investment and development work. I look forward to further contributing to the team and the firm as a whole, and helping to grow our already formidable network of industrial and logistics clients and advising them on complex and interesting high value deals.”
Amy France, new Partner in our Commercial Real Estate team, commented: “I am delighted to have been promoted to Partner. Having trained at Forsters it is a very special opportunity for me to join the next generation of Partners who will help to steer the firm forward. I am looking forward to leading the Later Living practice within the Commercial Real Estate team and advising our clients who are investing in this exciting growth sector. I will be working alongside the other real estate partners to ensure that our clients receive the fantastic Forsters’ service that we are rightly recognised for.”
Anthony Goodmaker, new Partner in our Commercial Real Estate team, commented: “Having trained at the firm, to become a Partner at Forsters really means a lot to me. I am incredibly proud and excited to be making this step up at such an interesting time for the real estate industry. I am keen to build on our existing network of fantastic clients across the spectrum of investment and development work, with a particular focus on the industrial and logistics sector. As a Partner, I look forward to further contributing to our team and the firm as a whole.”
Caroline Harbord, new Partner in our Dispute Resolution team, commented: “I feel so proud to now count myself among the partners here at Forsters. In addition to being home to fantastic lawyers, the firm is a trail blazer on gender equality and has fostered a culture which really promotes thought leadership. As a partner in the Dispute Resolution team, I look forward to continuing to build my commercial litigation practice, and in particular helping trustees and other parties recover offshore investment losses.”
Anna Mullins, new Partner in our Property Litigation team, commented: “I am delighted to have been promoted to partner in our highly-regarded property litigation team. This promotion reflects the success and growth of our team. I look forward to working strategically with the partners in our award-winning commercial real estate and residential practices to ensure that we continue to grow and deliver a first-class service to our clients.”
Michael Armstrong, new Counsel in our Private Client team, commented: “Having trained at Forsters, I am delighted to have been promoted to Counsel in our award-winning Private Client group. This promotion confirms the firm’s commitment to mental capacity work, and I am looking forward to the chance to develop my practice advising and supporting vulnerable clients and their families.”
Polly Reeve, new Counsel in our Rural Property team, commented: “Having been with Forsters since 2010, I am delighted to be moving to this next phase of my career with the support of such an excellent team around me – our top ranked Rural Property practice provides a strong platform for this to happen. This promotion reflects the expertise we have built and continue to build in the rural sector and in my particular case, in rural transactions, complex and high value residential and mixed-use developments and renewables. My expertise in rural housing development and green energy projects, particularly solar, battery storage facilities and wind farms in rural areas are key issues for our clients and I will developing a broader practice in this demanding area of law.”
Amanda Sandys, new Counsel in our Family team, commented:
“In my new role as Counsel I will be further developing my expertise in advising and supporting clients who are part of a growing network of modern families, with a focus on the financial and parenting issues that can arise on separation particularly amongst cohabitants. Working closely with the wider team, and building on our strong market reputation, I look forward to contributing to the ongoing success of our practice.”
Bryan Shacklady, new Counsel in our Dispute Resolution team, commented: “I am looking forward to developing further our market leading dispute resolution practice, which is unique in combining highly effective commercial litigation with other practice areas for which Forsters is justifiably renowned.”
Forsters advises Greybull Capital on the purchase of McLaren Applied
13 August 2021
News
A cross departmental team, led by Client Relationship Partner, Craig Thompson, and Senior Associate Daniel Bryan, has advised long-standing client, Greybull Capital, on their high-profile purchase of the McLaren Group’s Applied business division.
The business will continue to be led by McLaren Applied’s current management team and will continue to service its existing customer base with the company aiming to further expand on its current business strategy.
Commenting on the purchase, Marc Meyohas (Managing Partner at Greybull Capital), said “McLaren Applied is at the forefront of British innovation. For over 30 years, McLaren Applied has helped lead the way on the digital and electric evolution of motorsport and the application of these Formula 1 technologies is becoming increasingly widespread. Applied is playing a key role across the transport sector providing solutions that allow for greater resource efficiency, connectivity and electrification.”
“Forsters are thrilled to have advised Greybull on this significant deal, having acted for Greybull on a number of transactions over the years, and we look forward to seeing the Applied business drive forward its growth strategies.” Craig Thompson commented.
A cross-practice group of lawyers from across Forsters’ Corporate & Commercial, Real Estate, Tax, and Finance teams, worked together with Greybull on the acquisition. In particular, Craig was assisted by Daniel Bryan and James Hamilton. Helen Streeton led on real estate, supported by Anthony Goodmaker and Emma Francombe. Elizabeth Small led on tax, and Rowena Marshall led on finance.
A Forsters team led by Head of Corporate, Craig Thompson, and Associate, James Hamilton, advised Net-a-Porter founder Mark Quinn-Newall’s Neurotribes investment fund on the sale of its substantial stake in Cult Beauty to The Hut Group for £275 million.
On Tuesday 22 September 2020 I attended the virtual Student Housing Conference 2020, together with Ronan Ledwidge, Partner in our Commercial Real Estate team. The overall message from the many speakers was one of positivity and optimism – here are my 5 takeaways from the event:
Sector resilience – student accommodation remains a sought-after asset class in the real estate market. Whilst it will inevitably be a tough year for investors, the impact of the Coronavirus crisis should only be temporary for the PBSA market.
Location, location, location – location is more crucial now than ever, both in terms of the town or city itself and the location of the accommodation in that locality. Developers must continue to give strong consideration to whether it makes sense to build their scheme in a particular location.
The preferred option – the latest data shows that private purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) has become the preferred option for students attending university in the UK, both international and domestic. StudentCrowd survey results reveal that students rank PBSA above university dorms in terms of value for money, location, management, cleanliness, Wi-Fi and quality of social spaces. The next focus for PBSA going forward should be the enhancement of the social experience, albeit that will have to wait until social distancing is a thing of the past.
Collaboration – the rise in popularity of PBSA has brought about the strengthening of partnerships between universities and operators, particularly in respect of pastoral and social care for students. Universities – who will have to rely on the private sector now more than ever – are continuing to work closely with investors to maximise the potential benefit that quality accommodation can bring. Investors should also work closely with their debt providers and engage early if any road bumps are encountered.
Looking ahead – the latest evidence clearly suggests that students still want the university experience – you cannot rely on Zoom for everything. It is hoped that by September 2021, students will be looking forward to the academic year ahead with Covid all but behind us. If that is the case, then student demand for PBSA should be greater than ever. As for the current academic year, the coming weeks will be crucial. An encouraging number of rooms have been booked, but it remains to be seen if everyone will turn up…
BA Pensions Claim Record fourth Title at Forsters’ Annual CRE Cricket Tournament
9 July 2018
News
On Thursday 28 June, the eyes of the sporting world briefly turned from Kaliningrad to Kew for the annual Forsters CRE cricket day.
With temperatures just shy of 30C, we were joined by client teams from BA Pensions, Caisson, La Salle and the Crown Estate for what always proves to be one of the highlights of the firm’s BD calendar.
The first match of the tournament – a quick fire 5-over, 6 aside version of the game – saw defending champions BA Pension get off to a flying start against the Crown Estate. Debutants La Salle followed that with a shock defeat to the hosts who are certainly not encouraged to be beating client teams on the day.
Nevertheless, BA Pensions and La Salle would soon emerge as the two teams fighting it out for the no-expense-spared trophy. And despite La Salle taking the victory in their head-to-head, a flurry of wickets in the final match of the day saw BA Pensions pip La Salle to the post on points difference to claim a record fourth title at Kew Cricket Club.
Thanks as always to Kew CC, all who helped organise and the many supporters who came along for the free lunch, tea, pizza and open bar.
