The London office of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP continues the strategic expansion of its real estate sector team with the addition of investment funds and real estate sector tax specialist Ben Eaton, who is set to join the firm in November.
“Greenberg Traurig is excited to share Ben’s announcement that he will leave Goodwin Procter to join us as a shareholder in London, working with the team that has been responsible for landmark transactions in the real estate sector in London during the past 18 months or so,” said Richard A. Rosenbaum, Greenberg Traurig’s Executive Chairman. “Ben’s legal practice is a natural fit in that he is aligned with our firm’s core values and strategies that have served us well as we have grown this team in a strategic and disciplined manner, even in today’s disruptive environment.”
In early 2017, Greenberg Traurig’s London office added a senior group of highly regarded shareholders and their teams, who focus on the real estate sector, which enhanced its pan-European offering across its offices in The Netherlands, Germany, the UK, and Central and Eastern Europe, and a strong, strategic alliance in Italy.
Eaton focuses his practice on the tax aspects of real estate transactions and investment funds, with an emphasis on cross-border work. He has deep experience advising on the tax aspects of real estate investment, and financing, development, as well as structuring of funds and joint ventures, investing in real estate and real estate debt, and transactions involving real estate operating businesses. According to the Legal 500 UK, Eaton “has ‘outstanding knowledge of foreign tax systems and is able to use that knowledge to provide multijurisdictional structuring advice.’”
“While working primarily in the real estate sector,” Eaton said, “I also advise clients on the tax aspects of private equity transactions and funds investing in other asset classes. Much of my work involves advising on international tax issues associated with cross-border investment. Greenberg Traurig’s strong reputation in this area and award-winning real estate team sealed my decision to join.”
“We have been focused on building the leading real estate practice in the world, and the team has become more robust by the firm’s commitment to simultaneously increasing our resources in key synergistic areas such as tax, private equity and fund formation,” noted Real Estate Practice Co-Chairs Robert J. Ivanhoe, Corey E. Light, and Richard J. Giusto in a joint statement. “Ben’s addition reflects the importance of related tax expertise to the real estate sector. Our ability to handle complex deals for our clients around the globe and in the active London market will be enhanced by Ben’s experience and expertise, particularly given his natural cultural fit with GT and our team.”
Greenberg Traurig’s top ranking pan-European real estate sector team now has about 160 lawyers.
Eaton is listed in The Legal 500 UK. He serves as chairman of The Law Society’s Stamp Taxes Sub-Committee and as a member of its Main Tax Committee. He is an associate member of the British Property Federation Tax Committee, the Stamp Taxes Practitioners Group, and a former member of the Investment Management Association Tax Committee. Eaton received an LL.M. from the University of Cambridge Selwyn College in 1993; attended the Law Society Finals at The College of Law in Chester in 1992; and received his M.A. from University of Cambridge in 1991. He is admitted to practice in England and Wales.
