Mayer Brown JSM has represented LKK Health Products Group on a 1.28 billion pound (about $1.68 billion) deal to purchase the iconic “Walkie Talkie" skyscraper in London from Canary Wharf Group and Land Securities Group, which turned to Berwin Leighton Paisner and CMS, respectively, for advice.
LKK is a unit of Hong Kong-based food company Lee Kum Kee group. Located at 20 Fenchurch Street, the “Walkie Talkie” is the fifth-tallest completed building in the City of London.
The acquisition is reportedly the UK’s biggest deal for a single office building and is the latest in a series of London property acquisitions by Chinese and Hong Kong companies. In February, Hong Kong-listed property firm CC Land bought London’s ‘Cheesegrater’ tower from a joint venture between British Land and Canada’s Oxford Properties for $1.4 billion.
The Mayer Brown team was led by Chris Harvey and Jeremy Clay, with support from fellow partners Andrew Hepner, Caroline Humble, Anita Jones, Pat Jones, David Harrison, Jonathan Olson-Welsh, Jeremy Kenley, Connor Cahalane, Tim Nosworthy, Nicholas Robertson and Sandy Bhogal.
Partners Victoria Henry, Barry Morris and Nick Burt handled the transaction for CMS.