Rachel Orton

Full Profile

Rachel advises on all aspects of commercial property but has particular expertise in student accommodation, residential build to rent/sell, later living, affordable housing, assisted living and dementia care. She has been industry ranked as a Next Generation Partner by Legal 500 in 2019/2020 and as a Leading Individual in Real Estate Investment 2021-2023.

"Rachel Orton is responsive, commercial, sensible and knowledgeable" Legal 500 UK 2023.

Rachel also advises infrastructure funds on a variety of projects including on healthcare, energy from waste and battery storage projects.

Rachel is a regular speaker at industry events and has authored a number of thought leadership articles published by Legal Week and Estates Gazette amongst others.

Experience

• Advising a major institutional investor on its entry into the later living market by way of a joint venture with a leading operator, including advising on all aspects of the structuring, development, investment, operation and unit disposal process of a 156 unit scheme.
• Advising US, Middle Eastern and Asian private equity funders and family offices on the development of large mixed-use schemes in London comprising private residential, social housing and commercial and leisure uses.
• Advising a major infrastructure fund on its investment in and operation of a number of build to rent and affordable housing schemes in conjunction with its joint venture partner, a large UK based institutional investor. Frequently these transactions involved advising on the management and local authority funding arrangements.
• Advising an international debt fund on the investment and development financing of a number of student accommodation, build to rent, later living and care home assets.
• Advising a social impact investor on the acquisition and management of a number of social infrastructure assets in the healthcare/assisted living sector.
• Advising a UK/US fund on the investment, development and day to day management of a large industrial/life sciences park comprising over 100 tenancies and the subsequent fund restructuring to facilitate further investment by a Canadian pension fund.
• Advising a UK based infrastructure fund on a number of student accommodation, healthcare and energy projects which included providing advice through the bid process to acquisition, EPC contract negotiation and subsequent management/hand back considerations.
• Advising a UK developer on its joint venture and development management arrangements for a number of third party assets but also on the acquisition, development and management of its own logistics portfolio.