Shoosmiths strengthens real estate team with new partner

In a strategic move to bolster its Real Estate practice, Shoosmiths has announced the appointment of Simon Collis as a Partner at its London office. Simon joins the firm from Steptoe International (UK), bringing a wealth of commercial real estate experience and a diverse portfolio of clients that includes private equity firms, data centres, developers, investors, and financial services, both in the UK and internationally. This recruitment builds on the recent addition of Jasvinder Sahotay from Steptoe, underscoring the firm's ongoing commitment to expanding its real estate expertise.

Simon’s practice encompasses the acquisition and disposal of investment assets, overseeing the entire lifecycle of development projects, and addressing landlord and tenant leasehold and management work. His extensive experience also covers corporate real estate transactions, often linked with real estate finance, and he is well-versed in advising on resort and leisure development projects. Shoosmiths Partner and Head of Real Estate, Joe Mazzucca, remarked that “Simon’s expertise complements and enhances our market leading Real Estate practice, and we’re thrilled to have him on board.” He highlighted Simon's proven ability to develop and maintain strong client relationships, particularly on complex, transaction-led mandates, as a key asset for the firm.

Reflecting on his new role, Simon expressed his enthusiasm by stating, “Shoosmiths has a well-established and multi-disciplinary Real Estate practice, and I’m delighted to be joining the team.” He noted the firm's commitment to Real Estate as a core area and praised its national and increasingly international reach as well as its collaborative culture, which he views as compelling advantages. Simon aims to further strengthen Shoosmiths' offering and build upon the solid foundations already established.

Shoosmiths has been actively expanding its Real Estate team in recent months, with several partner hires that signal the firm's dedication to tackling complex real estate client matters. Simon's addition not only enhances the growing team in London, which has seen 15 lateral partners join since April 2025, but also aligns with Shoosmiths' dynamic 2030 strategy. Other recent additions to the firm include banking and finance lawyers John Dawson and Graham Knight, technology lawyer Sarah Reynolds, as well as real estate finance lawyer James Salford. These hires are critical to deepening the firm's capabilities across its three core practices—Corporate, Litigation, and Real Estate—while reinforcing its position in key sectors such as technology, energy, and infrastructure.