Claire is a commercial real estate specialist and head of WBD's Retail and Hospitality team. She has extensive experience in all aspects of transactions, advising investors, occupiers, and developers from site assembly/development through to letting and on-going asset management. Claire routinely leads multi-disciplinary and multi-locational teams advising on portfolio acquisitions/disposals, financing and development. Claire has particular experience in retail, transport and logistics, and the hotel and leisure sectors.
Claire has completed account management training designed by the Cranfield School of Management and for many years has been client relationship partner for some of the Country's largest companies.
Claire works hard to provide practical advice and support through appropriate allocation of instructions, supervision, recruiting and retaining market leading practitioners, precedent development and delivering bespoke seminars/training.
Longstanding relationships and client satisfaction are at the heart of what Claire does. A deep understanding of her client’s industries allows Claire to recognise the issues that they face and to contribute to their growth by providing targeted commercial solutions to their legal needs.
Claire has also advised clients on environmental, social and governance (ESG) related issues in the hospitality sector. She contributed to the firm's joint report with Energy and Environment Alliance (EEA), 'The "S" in ESG for the hospitality sector', which explores the key social issues and challenges in the hospitality industry and offers suggestions for businesses to make a tangible, long-lasting social impact.
Experience
Examples of experience include advising:
- British Land – Helping BL realise value from their portfolios by advising on some of the Country's largest regional shopping centres;
- Scottish Widows and Standard Life Investments - Large-scale portfolio acquisitions and disposals for major property funds;
- The Stage, Shoreditch, London and Oakgate Group, Monks Cross, York - Advising on joint venture mixed use regeneration projects;
- HS1 Limited - Advising on retail, commercial, operational and telecoms agreements across the portfolio, including property and management work at the Grade I listed St Pancras Station; and
- Travelodge Hotels – Advising on their new build, going concern and refurbishment acquisitions.
"The selection of Claire as our Lawyer of the Year was an easy one for us, her dedication and commitment to helping us achieve our business objectives has been outstanding."
Tony O'Brien, Travelodge's UK Development Director
"I was thinking about something Claire Barber [Head of Retail Assets at British Land] said recently. She was talking about the legals and how impressed she was with the way Claire has dealt with this transaction. She was full of praise, acknowledging the complexity of the docs, the lengthy negotiations and drafting/redrafting that has been required. She is very impressed at Claire's 'no fuss, no drama, just do it' approach."
Simon Cole Leasing Director at Smith Young, March 2016
