Mr Alastair Cowan > Addleshaw Goddard > Edinburgh, United Kingdom > Lawyer Profile
Addleshaw Goddard Offices

EXCHANGE TOWER
19 CANNING STREET
EDINBURGH
EH3 8EH
United Kingdom
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Mr Alastair Cowan

Work Department
Real Estate.
Position
Alastair is dual qualified for both Scotland and England/Wales and has helped to drive the department’s expansion plans since joining the firm in 2010, with a formidable reputation as a deal maker and strategic adviser. Acting for an impressive list of clients which includes institutional, private and overseas investors, as well as private property companies, Alastair has extensive experience of the real estate market, particularly investment acquisitions and disposals, student accommodation, asset management and development, such as: Acquisition, subsequent asset management, development and break up of several mixed use portfolios, including a predominantly retail portfolio of 42 properties for £120million, and a predominantly industrial and office portfolio of 20 properties for £60million; Acquisition and development of six separate sites for student accommodation, comprising a cumulative total of well over 1000 studios for Hong Kong and Singaporean regulated funds, managed through a UK based FCA regulated private equity investment house; Acquisition and break up of several cross border residential portfolios, including a portfolio of 1,363 properties for £157million from a major UK high street bank, and a portfolio of 511 units across 18 blocks for in excess of £50million; Asset management of several shopping centres on behalf of both a listed UK REIT and a large private property company; The recent acquisitions of various retail, industrial and office properties in Scotland for an institutional fund for a cumulative total of almost £40m; the disposal of a portfolio of 8 retail parks and properties to a UK institution for in excess of £60m; He is valued for his understanding and commercial awareness of the pressures – he is creative and finds a solution rather than a problem.
Career
Trained Archibald Campbell & Harley WS; qualified 2000, Archibald Campbell & Harley; Solicitor, Shepherd & Wedderburn WS; Solicitor, Dickson Minto; Solicitor, HBJ Gateley; Senior Associate, Partner HBJ Gateley 2015 – known as Addleshaw Goddard with effect from 1 June 2017.
Education
The High School of Glasgow; Aberdeen University (1997 LLB (Hons); 1998 DipLP).
Lawyer Rankings
Scotland > Real estate > Commercial property: Edinburgh and Glasgow
Addleshaw Goddard is actively engaged in sectors including student accommodation, hotels, and significant portfolio realignments. Alison Newton, who co-leads the firm’s UK and international real estate practice, focuses particularly on student accommodation and build-to-rent projects. Miles Ede, who heads the Scottish real estate team, is a popular choice for UK corporate occupier clients. Alastair Cowan often works with international private equity and institutional investors on portfolio acquisitions and the development of student accommodations. Caroline Coulter, promoted to partner in November 2023, specialises in real estate investment and asset management. Paul Ockrim and Nick Taylor left the firm in May 2023.
Lawyer Rankings
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Corporate and commercial > Corporate and commercial: Edinburgh and Glasgow
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Energy (excluding oil and gas)
- Finance > Insolvency and corporate recovery
Firm Rankings
- Finance > Banking and finance
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation
- Real estate > Commercial property: Edinburgh and Glasgow
- Corporate and commercial > Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in Scotland
- Corporate and commercial > Corporate tax
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Projects
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport
- Transport
- Real estate > Construction
- Dispute resolution > Debt recovery
- Public sector > Local government
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Oil and gas
- Real estate > Planning
- Real estate > Property litigation
- Employment > Employment
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property