International law firm Bird & Bird is bolstering its Real Estate and hospitality offering with the hire of Andrew MacGeoch as a new partner of Bird & Bird LLP. Andrew will be based in Singapore as a Registered Foreign Lawyer and joins alongside Counsel Leanne Sim and senior associate Sharonrose Tan.
Joining Bird & Bird as APAC co-head of Hotels, Hospitality & Leisure, Andrew brings over 30 years of experience representing developers, owners, institutional investors, governments, and statutory corporations in Asia on a range of development matters. He has extensive experience in dealing with infrastructure developments and mixed-use projects from power generating plants to stadia, multi-purpose venues and exhibition centres with a significant focus on hospitality projects and integrated resorts. He drafts the full range of corporate and commercial agreements required for such projects (including joint ventures, project concession and development agreements, facilities management, leases and related contracts).
Andrew has also been involved in transactions (acting primarily for owners) involving more than 50 hotel and lodging brands.
This marks the fifth partner arrival in Bird & Bird’s Singapore office this year, as part of the ambitious growth pillar of the firm’s five-year strategy. It also follows on from the hire of Simon Price as a Real Estate and Hospitality partner in London.
Jeremy Tan, head of Bird & Bird’s Singapore office, said: “Singapore has long been a gateway for Asian investors seeking opportunities in the region and European real estate, with activity driven by key players from markets like Singapore and Hong Kong. Andrew’s deep experience in the region, combined with his expertise in regional and international cross-border transactions, strengthens our position as a regional hub. His team's strong network and experience, combined with the firm’s multidisciplinary capabilities across the lifecycle of real estate assets (spanning real estate, M&A, IP, Data Privacy, Employment & Disputes) offers a full-service solution to the evolving needs of clients in Asia and beyond."
Simon Price, Real Estate and Hospitality partner in Bird & Bird’s London office, comments: “We are really excited by the addition of Andrew and his team to our international Hotels, Hospitality and Leisure team. We are continuing to broaden and deepen our bench strength across Hotels, Hospitality and Leisure in Asia and our new colleagues will help us to further unlock new opportunities both locally and internationally. The team’s reputation and Andrew’s strong connections with local investors, alongside Leanne and Sharonrose’s expertise, allows us to build upon an already strong offering for clients in the sector. With investment interest between Asia and Europe continuing to grow and our increasing portfolio of multi-jurisdiction real estate and Hotel, Hospitality & Leisure clients needing international support, their arrival fits extremely well with and supplements our multi-practice offering that we provide for businesses in these sectors.”
Andrew adds: “It’s exciting to see Asia’s hotel sector bouncing back post-Covid, with growth in areas like M&A, asset conversions, franchising, the structuring and development of branded residences and settling owner-operator disputes. I’m a strong supporter of a sector-led approach and Bird & Bird feels like a great fit, with its strong platform in hotels and hospitality across the UK, Europe, and the Middle East, creating great opportunities to connect the dots with Asia.”
