Related services and key industries
Biography
Wasim Khan is a real estate lawyer based in London.
Wasim has been involved in major transactions in both Europe and the Middle East, having acted for a variety of developers, investors, funders and corporate end users. His main areas of expertise focus on large-scale real estate and infrastructure projects, structured real estate products, and real estate joint ventures. He also has extensive experience in the hotels and leisure sector and of acting for developers and banks in connection with renewable energy, waste to energy schemes, interconnector and power projects.
Wasim is one of the UK’s leading specialists in Islamic Finance for real estate and acts for a number of major investors from the Middle East including sovereign wealth funds and family offices. Wasim has worked in our Bahrain office and is involved in the development and operation of our Middle East real estate practice. He is also part of our Islamic finance group.
Professional experience
Collapse all- Solicitor, qualified in England & Wales
Maybourne Hotel Group - advising Qatari-owned British luxury hotel operator Maybourne Hotel Group (which owns and manages The Berkeley, Claridge's and The Connaught hotels in London) on a wholesale review of a number of operational contracts.
Bank ABC - advising Bank ABC on the Islamic development re-financing of College Road Tower, a co-living development in Croydon, South London comprising 817 co-living homes and 120 affordable residential units over two towers, with carefully designed communal spaces providing generous social and co-working spaces. One of the world’s largest co-living schemes.
British Racing Drivers Club Limited - advising the owners of the world famous Silverstone motor racing circuit in Northamptonshire, England (home to the British F1 Grand Prix) on the development of The Hilton Garden Inn Silverstone, a 197 room track-side hotel. Also advising on the development by Escapade Living of 60 new luxury holiday lodges to benefit from free access to key motor racing events, together with access to a new clubhouse.
Balfour Beatty Investments – advised Balfour Beatty as developer and investor into a project that will provide 1,899 bedrooms together with a new Health and Wellbeing Centre, as well as catering and retail facilities for students. Funding was provided with £171 million of wrapped bond financing being raised through a private placement.
Raffles Hotel at the Old War Office - advising the Hinduja Group in joint venture on the acquisition and re-development of the iconic Old War Office Building in Whitehall, London from the Ministry of Defence and on the appointment of Accor Hotels to operate part of the development as an ultra-luxury five star hotel under the iconic “Raffles” brand and luxury branded apartments.
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board - advising CPPIB on its London HQ premises at 40 Portman Square, London. The building comprises over 100,000 sq ft of prime Grade A office space with floor to ceiling glass and a terrace which overlooks the square.
NatWest – advised a syndicate of banks on the financing of Travelodge Group's acquisition of 66 Travelodge-branded hotels from LXi REIT plc for £210 million. Travelodge – the UK's first budget hotel brand, operating nearly 600 hotels – acquired the hotels on a freehold and long leasehold basis from its largest landlord.
Emirates NBD Bank – advised on the refinancing of the luxury five-star Bulgari Hotel in central London. The six floors above ground level hold the hotel's bedrooms, while five subterranean floors contain the state-of-the-art gym, swimming pool and spa facilities.
Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners – advised this global investment manager on its partnership with E.ON to construct a consented 350MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project located in Uskmouth, South Wales (a previously coal-fired power station site). Once operational, Uskmouth is expected to be one of the largest battery storage projects in the UK and will directly support the UK’s sustainable drive to Net Zero.
Al Faisal Holding - on the acquisition, financing and operation of the 192 room W Hotel in Leicester Square, London. The hotel has its own spa and nightclub which is dominated by a 17,000 mirror glitterball.
- The City UK
Insights
Time for the Heavy Roller? Or has the Budget finally levelled the playing field for UK Islamic Finance
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Real Estate Focus: December 2023
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Real Estate Focus: November 2023
Publication | November 29, 2023