Clifford Chance
Sarah Thomas specialises in all aspects of direct and indirect equity investment in real estate, including acquisitions and disposals of private companies, unit trusts, partnerships and real estate assets, development projects, joint ventures, major lettings (landlord and occupier), asset management, hotels, including acquisitions, developments and operating arrangements.
Sarah's clients include investors, investment banks, developers, opportunity funds and hotel operators.
- L&Q on the acquisition of Gallagher Estates for an enterprise value of £505m. The deal is the largest land transaction undertaken by any housing association and places L&Q, a charitable housing association committed to solving the UK housing crisis, as one of the leading developers of new homes across the UK
- Hammerson plc on its acquisition of the remaining 40% interest in the English Limited Partnership owning the Highcross Shopping Centre, Leicester, from its joint venture partner BIS (Postal Services Company Act 2011) Company Ltd (formerly the Royal Mail Pension Plan)
- Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts on several of their hotels, including their development agreement, pre-let, fit-out and operating lease of their hotel comprising 18 floors of “The Shard”
- The developer, a joint venture between Lend Lease and Quintain, on all aspects of the redevelopment of the Greenwich Peninsula (including the O2), one of the UK’s largest regeneration programmes
News and client work
Contact details
- Clifford Chance, London
- +442070064307
- Email me
- Practice area Real estate
- Sector Real estate, Sovereign wealth
Career and qualifications
- Manchester University B.A. (Hons.) 1993
- Admitted as a solicitor in England & Wales 1998
- Joined Clifford Chance 2000
- Partner since 2006
- Counsel since 2010
Awards and citations
- Sarah Thomas is ranked as "Notable practitioner ".
IFLR 1000 2024, Real estate acquisitions,
- United Kingdom. - ‘Sarah Thomas has been an outstanding professional who is able to get to the crux of the issues and explain them in an easy to understand language.’
Legal 500 2021