Paul Browne Partner

Paul is head of the firm’s real estate, real estate finance and international trade teams following a 12 year tenure as the firm’s finance partner sitting on the firm's management and strategy committee. He is a well-known face to most lenders and intermediaries in the City and has been an active supporter of the Association of Property Lenders since it was founded in 1991.

He regularly acts for a number of UK clearing banks as well as a growing number of debt funds, investment banks and private banks ranging from the likes of HSBC, Metlife and RBS to Weatherbys and Arbuthnot.

Paul and his team assist lenders in any scenario where there is an underlying real estate asset. They transact around £3 billion of debt annually across development finance, investment finance, refinancing and restructuring. Within that, Paul’s team has developed particular expertise in some of the alternative asset classes such as student accommodation, hotels, healthcare and crematoria.

Paul is also regarded as an expert when it comes to the real estate aspects of the nuclear industry. He leads the firm's real estate nuclear team acting for a wide variety of clients operating in the nuclear sector and is the real estate contributor to the highly acclaimed Burges Salmon Guide to Nuclear Law.

The international trade team led by Paul supports multi-national organisations and institutions, entrepreneurial businesses and wealthy individuals and families with cross-border interests. Our services include specialist UK/EU advice to clients acting internationally as well as co-ordinating advice for our clients across multiple jurisdictions. Paul also leads the firm’s work with inbound clients into the UK assisting their UK market entry and expansion.

• Advising HSBC and RBS in relation to a £180 million facility to a student accommodation provider on a portfolio of assets across the UK. 
• Advising on the administration, management and current disposal of the £75 million Yorkgate Shopping Centre in York.
• Advising a club of lenders in a £180 million student accommodation funding.
• Advising on a UK wide 30 Property Portfolio funding for a Luxco Fund.
• Advising on the administration of the £75 million Yorkgate Shopping Centre in York.
• Running the Burges Salmon team which ran the management of the entire 13,000 acre government nuclear estate, including acquisitions, management and disposals on an “all in one“ annual fee retainer basis.
• Advising the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on the management of their assets and the strategy and subsequent disposal by the first of a kind online auction of land at Sizewell, Wylfa, Bradwell, Oldbury and Sellafield for nuclear new build.
• Advising Magnox on Site Separation issues at Wylfa to facilitate new build.
• Advising on the disposal via option of the site for Nuclear New Build at Sellafield.
• Advising on a wide variety of Landlord and tenant negotiations on behalf of the NDA and RSRL as landlord across their entire estate.
• Advising the NDA on its disposal of its uranics business at Capenhurst and Springfields.
• Advising on the transfer of the INS Investment Property portfolio.
• Advising on the grant of a renewables option at Chapelcross.
• Advising on the liaison and investigation into proposed uses at Trawsfynydd including liaising with local charitable trusts.