Squire Patton Boggs is bolstering its Birmingham real estate team with the hire of a nine-lawyer team from Gowling WLG, led by three partners.
Michael Twining, who specialises in large portfolio transactions and works with clients including Blackstone, SEGRO and M&G, is joining Squires alongside fellow real estate partners Rachel Kerr and James Eddowes, as well as six associates.
The three partners have decades of experience between them, with Twining’s exit coming after nearly 22 years at Gowling WLG.
His recent work includes advising SEGRO on its £202m acquisition of Perivale Park from Federated Hermes, acting for M&G on the £36m purchase of Gascoigne Road, Barking, from Mirastar, and advising Blackstone on a series of transactions, including the asset management giant’s $4.7bn acquisition of iQ Student Accommodation.
A spokesperson for Gowling WLG said: ‘Michael Twining, Rachel Kerr, James Eddowes and six associates are leaving our real estate group for Squire Patton Boggs.
‘Our clients are not impacted and they are already aware of the news. Our real estate practice continues to grow and evolve with the market. We continue our focus on delivering exceptional service and on shaping our team in line with market opportunities and our future growth plans.’
The firm, which was formed in 2016 through the merger of Canada’s Gowlings and the UK’s Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co, has recorded 20% growth in its UK real estate practice over the last two years, generating close to £100m in 2025-26. The firm’s Birmingham real estate team is ranked in tier 1 of Legal 500’s commercial property rankings for the region.
This week, a Gowling WLG team led by London partner Nick Mumby advised Ridgeback and Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing on the £1bn acquisition of London & Quadrant Housing Trust’s private rented sector business, Metra Living.
