David heads the Real Estate team and has done so since 2016. His workload is generally split 50/50 between England & Wales and NI and he works across all areas of commercial real estate, with a particular focus on development, investment and large-scale landlord and tenant work.
David has been involved in many of the most significant real estate transactions in NI over recent years, including the first private sector student accommodation development at John Bell House in Belfast, involving the complex and sensitive conversion of an iconic listed building in the city centre and the first major build to rent development scheme at Loft Lines in Titanic Quarter. He is also bringing contacts together, making introductions to enable projects to be formulated and is a genuine deal-maker in this regard. In addition, he has been involved in the high level structuring of large scale real estate development projects in the Republic of Ireland and Scotland, due to the nature of his experience in complex, bespoke development work. David also produces sought-after thought leadership articles and contributes to jurisdictional guides for Northern Ireland.
He is on the committee of the Northern Ireland Commercial Property Lawyers’ Association and a member of the Institute of Directors. As part of the NICPLA committee, David was involved in producing the commercial property conditions for inclusion in the Law Society of Northern Ireland’s updated General Conditions of Sale. These updated conditions represent a significant development for the profession as a whole in NI. David is also part of the senior level public/private taskforce looking at increasing investment in the Northern Irish commercial property sector and sat on the Regeneration Policy Steering Committee for the Belfast Chamber of Commerce.
“He is absolutely outstanding in his dedication, considered in his approach and detailed in his execution” Chambers UK
“He is extremely commercial and has actively protected our interests through precise and forensic work” Chambers UK
David Jones “thinks outside the box” and “really is excellent” Chambers UK
Highlights:
- Acted for Quintain over a 5 year period on the Wembley regeneration project.
- Act for Tesco in relation to its development projects and property management issues in NI.
- Act for Deloitte in relation to its office leases and property strategy in NI.
- Act for Apple in relation its property interests on the island of Ireland.
- Act for a number of London and international based property funds in the acquisition, development and management of assets in NI, including Legal & General, Brookfield, Greystar British Land, Brockton Capital/Pradera, Picton Capital, GMK Group and CA Ventures.
- Acted on over 90% of all purpose built student accommodation development schemes in NI.
- Act on the large mixed use regeneration of Stanley Square in Sale, comprising the majority of the town centre.
- Act for a number of occupier clients taking office, retail and industrial leases throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland, including a number of foreign businesses investing in NI for the first time.
