Jeremy Clay

Real Estate, Real Estate Development & Construction, Corporate Real Estate Services

"Jeremy Clay is a class act; he understands complex issues quickly and is a very able negotiator."

Legal 500, Hall of Fame

Overview

Jeremy Clay is Managing Partner of Mayer Brown. A member of the firm's London Real Estate practice, he has served on Mayer Brown's Management Committee since 2012.

Jeremy represents investors, developers, banks, and corporate clients in all kinds of structured development, investment, and finance transactions to help them achieve their best outcomes. His extensive experience in real estate law has earned him consistent rankings as a leading individual by prominent legal directories.

Clients Jeremy has served include JP Morgan Chase, Canary Wharf Group, Sloane Capital, and Bear Stearns.

Experience

Advised:

Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation on the purchase of Old Spitalfields Market, London for £105 million.
A Crosstree Real Estate Partners/Helical Bar plc joint venture in relation to the purchase of properties adjoining London's Old Street roundabout for £60.75 million.
British Land on their £129.6 million acquisition of the Clarges Estate in Mayfair.
A US financial institution in its participation in the acquisition of a loan portfolio from Bank of Ireland for $1.8 billion secured principally by high-quality, London-based office, multifamily, and retail properties.
Canary Wharf Group plc in a joint venture with Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company to conclude an agreement with Shell International to redevelop the Shell Centre site at South Bank.
JPMorgan Chase Bank on the £495 million acquisition and refurbishment of 25 Bank Street, Canary Wharf, London.

British Land plc on their acquisition of a mixed office and retail investment property in Victoria, London, and on their acquisition of Grenfell Island, a prime office and leisure scheme in Maidenhead, UK.
The Canary Wharf Group on a joint venture with a MSREF Fund to undertake the redevelopment of the 300,000-square-foot office development, Drapers Gardens scheme, in the City of London.
M3 Capital on the takeover as Investment Manager and restructuring of a European Platform (based in Jersey) investing in Central and Eastern European properties.
Sloane Capital on the purchase and financing of 9 Place Vendôme, Paris at a price in excess of €600m.
SloaneCap on the forward purchase and leaseback of the Standard Chartered Headquarters' building developed at 35 Basinghall Street, London EC2 (and then on its subsequent forward sale). Also advised the same client on the forward purchase of the Hilton Hotel at Canary Wharf.
St Modwen plc on numerous developments, including the redevelopment of: Edmonton Green involving the development of over 300,000 sq ft of retail space (including a new Asda superstore), offices, new leisure centre, new health centre, bus station, and approximately 170 new flats; Hatfield Town Centre: a complex mixed-use scheme covering some 3.3ha (8.1 acres) of land; comprising retail, A3, community facilities, and affordable and private sector housing elements; and Bedford Town Centre.
Bear Stearns on the development and letting of its European Headquarters at Canary Wharf.
Unilever in relation to the redevelopment, sale, and lease back of its European HQ.

Related Services & Industries

Services

Industries

Publications & Presentations

News
View All News
- Firm News
  Chambers UK 2025 ranks 24 Mayer Brown Practices and 49 lawyers
  October 18, 2024
- Firm News
  The Legal 500 UK 2025 Ranks Mayer Brown in 52 Practice Areas and Recognises 27 Lawyers as “Leading Partners”
  October 10, 2024

Recognition

Consistently ranked as a leading individual by the legal directories

Listed as a key lawyer and in the 'Hall of Fame' for Real Estate by Legal 500
Listed under 'Eminent practitioners,' Jeremy Clay serves as the firm's managing partner. He has vast experience in handling high-value investment and development transactions for property companies, as well as clients in the private equity space, and can also draw on his experience in real estate finance matters. – Chambers UK
Listed under 'Other key lawyers' and in the 'Hall of Fame' Jeremy 'is a class act; he understands complex issues quickly and is a very able negotiator.' He has long been a key member of the London real estate team and is also a real estate specialist. – Legal 500: Commercial Property
Listed as a 'Leading individual', under 'Other key lawyers' and in the 'Hall of Fame' for Commercial Property. – Legal 500
Sources describe him as a "fantastic" lawyer who is "extremely commercial." – Chambers UK
Listed as a 'Leading individual', under 'Other key lawyers' and in the 'Hall of Fame', 'Jeremy Clay is a key name on the investment side and primarily represents private equity funds, though the group also acts for property companies, family offices and overseas investors… Outstanding strategic advice on complex transactions - Jeremy Clay is particularly recommended.' – Legal 500

Jeremy Clay heads the firm's global real estate team. He regularly acts for private equity funds and financial institutions, as well as property companies, on very high-value investment acquisitions and development projects. A client says: "Jeremy is very good at cutting through a mass of detail and getting to the point. He has an art of being able to turn something very complex into something readily understandable." – Chambers UK
Global real estate head Jeremy Clay wins praise from industry sources as "one of the top people you'd go to for a structured asset disposal." He concentrates his practice on investment and development transactions on behalf of clients, including private equity funds, prominent financial institutions, and property companies. Sources praise his "highly pragmatic and commercial style." – Chambers UK
"Very commercial and knowledgeable." – IFLR 1000
Global head of practice Jeremy Clay is "client driven and commercial." – Legal 500
Jeremy Clay draws on extensive expertise in structured development and financing matters to advise financiers, developers, and corporate end-users on their real estate issues. Market commentators note his "fantastic" skill set, saying that "his negotiation skills are very effective." – Chambers UK
Mayer Brown International LLP's "fantastic" global practice head Jeremy Clay advised Brookfield Property Partners on its acquisition of Center Parcs from Blackstone. – Legal 500
The "extremely good" Jeremy Clay is well regarded by peers. He regularly advises on structured real estate transactions and other investment matters, as well as a range of development issues. – Chambers UK
Global practice head Jeremy Clay is "wise, commercially savvy, and unafraid to get involved in the nitty-gritty." – Legal 500
Jeremy Clay leads the firm's worldwide real estate practice. "I think he is outstanding," enthuses one client; "he is at the top of his game. Very commercial and will properly play his part in a negotiation." – Chambers UK
Jeremy is described by clients as being "very practical" and "incredibly commercial in the way he thinks about things." – Chambers UK
He is a "very effective negotiator" who "speaks authoritatively on whatever you ask him" and "keeps his cool throughout." "He was easily the most impressive lawyer that I have worked with for ages. He is exceptionally and unusually impressive. He takes a pragmatic approach to things and sees the wider picture" says one client – Chambers UK
He "is good at keeping things in context; he thinks laterally about points and doesn't take silly positions." – Chambers UK
"Leads complex deals and is a very effective negotiator" – Legal 500
"Excellent in all aspects" – Legal 500
Sources say "He exudes confidence and has the ability to match. He's practical on what the real issues are and aren't." – Chambers UK
"Sound judgment coupled with good common sense" – Legal 500
He is held in extremely high regard for "his expert technical and negotiating capabilities" ¬– Chambers & Partners UK Directory
"An excellent negotiator and transaction manager" - Legal 500
An "exceptional lead lawyer, providing practical advice on complex issues and really delivering to a tight schedule when needs be… [he] typifies the common-sense ethos of the firm." – Chambers UK
A client called him "smart, savvy" and "the best business person I have worked with in any law firm heads an increasingly impressive practice." – UK Legal 500
Jeremy has also been rated by clients as an "impressively original thinker" who is "fantastic to work with and technically skilled" flagging up, in particular, his flexibility and knack of ensuring punctual delivery. – The Chambers Directory

Education

University of Oxford, Law

Admissions

England and Wales