Oliver Riley

Partner

London

Qualified, Solicitor of England & Wales (2000)

oliver.riley@gowlingwlg.com

+44 (0)20 7759 6620

Areas of focus

Real Estate

Bio

Oliver Riley is a partner in the corporate group and specialises in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and equity capital markets.

He regularly advises on IPOs and secondary issues, either acting for the company or the investment bank, with a particular emphasis on the investment funds sector.

Oliver has considerable experience advising on mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures, with a particular focus on real assets.

Oliver's clients are primarily domestic and international public and private companies and the investment banks that advise them. They include Gravis Capital Management, Scape Student Living, ICG-Longbow, Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust, Downing Renewables & Infrastructure Trust, Life Science REIT, Cenkos Securities, Jefferies, Peel Hunt, Singers Capital Markets and Winterflood.

Recognition

Oliver Riley is well regarded in the market for his listed funds expertise and regularly called upon to advise clients on the launch, structuring and reconstruction of funds.

"He has very good sector knowledge, is very thorough, enthusiastic and very hands-on."
Chambers UK, 2021

"Oliver has established himself as a leading adviser on real estate fund transactions with a focus on the launch, structuring of onshore and offshore closed-ended funds and REITs, having advised on the UK residential REIT GCP Student Living."
Legal 500, 2023

Experience

Advising GCP Student Living plc, the first UK residential REIT, on its initial public offering on the Specialist Fund Market and the Channel Islands Stock Exchange, raising £70 million, its subsequent migration to the Main Market (premium listing segment), numerous secondary fundraisings which raised in excess of £400 million and its takeover by a consortium backed by funds managed by APG Asset Management N.V. and Blackstone. Oliver also advised the company on the acquisition of student accommodation and mixed use developments with a valuation in excess of £200 million held through onshore and offshore corporate wrappers.
Advising Life Science REIT plc on its initial public offering on AIM and associated fundraising of £350 million and subsequent migration to the Main Market (premium listing segment).
Advising Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust plc on its Main Market admission (premium listing segment) and associated fundraising of £350 million and subsequent secondary fundraises by way of an initial placing, open offer, intermediaries offer and offer for subscription and an accelerated bookbuild raising c.£225 million in aggregate.
Advising Downing Renewables & Infrastructure Trust plc on its Main Market admission (premium listing segment) raising gross proceeds of c.£122 million and subsequent fundraises by way of an accelerated bookbuild and by way of an initial placing, open offer, intermediaries offer and offer for subscription raising c.£70 million in aggregate.
Advising a consortium of investors on a joint venture with U and I to carry out the development of a 142 unit residential scheme in Brighton, including 28 affordable units.
Acting for Scape Student Living on the formation of a number of joint ventures to develop student accommodation and co-living assets in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the U.S. and Australia.
Advising C2 Capital in connection with a joint venture with Morgan Stanley to set up a multi let industrial landlord platform which was eventually sold for approximately £150 million together with C2's asset management business.
Acting for Peel Hunt LLP, Jefferies International Limited and Alvarium Securities Limited on numerous fundraises by Main Market listed LXi REIT plc raising c.£500 million in aggregate and the merger with Secure Income REIT plc.

Oliver Riley

Partner

Bio

Recognition

Bio

Recognition

Experience

Experience

Qualifications

Qualifications

Career

Languages Spoken

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Oliver Riley

Partner

Bio

Recognition

Bio

Recognition

Experience

Experience

Qualifications

Qualifications

Career

Languages Spoken

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Stay connected