Pannone Corporate has advised crazy golf brand, Junkyard Golf Club, on the purchase of its second London site – its biggest location to date.

The Manchester firm acted as legal adviser to the competitive socialising brand on the acquisition of a prominent 19,500 sq. ft. building in the heart of Camden Town. The former Shaka Zulu restaurant will be transformed into an immersive crazy golf experience and will be the company’s seventh site opening. This includes its flagship venue on First Street in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Oxford, Shoreditch in London, and Newcastle.

The Pannone team was led by Real Estate partner, James Wynne and included James Brandwood (Senior Associate) and Harry Jenkins (paralegal.)

James Wynne said: “Junkyard Golf has become an iconic brand – not only in its hometown of Manchester, but across the country. The latest opening in one of London’s best cultural hotspots is testament to company’s growth ambitions, but also its resilience in weathering the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly impacted on the leisure and hospitality sector.

“We’re delighted to be working alongside such exciting North West brands as they extend their footprint across key cities in the UK. This is another significant step forward for Junkyard Golf and forms part of ambitious domestic and international growth plans for 2023.”

James has worked alongside Junkyard Golf since 2017, with the firm acting on all site openings since.

The Pannone Real Estate team works with a number of high-profile names, such as Boohoo, Bestway, and Mission Mars.

Pannone Corporate – the North West law firm – has strengthened its commercial and real estate teams with the appointment of Andrew West and James Harris as partners.

Andrew, who set up his own commercial law firm Rushmoor Law 11 years ago, following more than a decade as partner at law firm Squire Patton Boggs, brings more than 30 years’ experience in advising a range of clients on IP/IT, data and commercial issues. Andrew will work alongside partner Amy Chandler in one of the region’s most prominent commercial teams.

James joins from Knights plc, where he was a commercial property partner for more than three years. He was previously the Managing Partner of Chester-based commercial law firm, Jollife & Co LLP, for 12 years. James brings considerable experience in residential and commercial property development, as well as licensing for restaurants and public houses.

Paul Jonson, senior partner at Pannone, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Andrew and James to the firm – two senior hires who will add significant strength and depth to our commercial and real estate offering. Both markets have huge potential for us and Andrew and James will complement our existing teams in capitalising on the opportunities for growth.”

Their arrival follows the news that Pannone has been appointed onto the legal framework for the Canal & River Trust. The firm will provide construction and property litigation support, as part of a five-year agreement.

Andrew commented: “Having worked alongside Pannone for a number of years in a consultancy role, I have built up a strong relationship with both the team and clients. When the opportunity arose to join such a well-established firm on a more permanent basis it was an easy decision to make and a seamless move. It’s very much business as usual for me.”

Commenting on the sector, he said: “There is a real opportunity in the technology services space, as corporate customers continue their digital transformation across all areas of operation. This is underpinned by the proliferation of cloud services, which enables businesses to test and adopt new technologies at a quicker rate.  This trend has been accelerated as a result of COVID-19, and currently shows no sign of a slowdown,  despite the obvious economic headwinds.”

James added: “There is also considerable market opportunity in commercial development, which remains buoyant, with licensing continuing to recover following an extremely challenging two years. I’m delighted to be joining such a dynamic and experienced team, and hope to bring both sector and management expertise to the role.”

Pannone Corporate has advised online fashion giant, Boohoo, on the acquisition of a new £72 million London headquarters.

The Real Estate and Corporate teams acted as legal advisers to Boohoo, which has purchased the high-profile offices previously occupied by Microsoft and Nokia. The team was led by Tim Hamilton, Corporate partner and Gareth Birch, Real Estate associate partner, with support from Barbara Wang, Danielle Amor and Helen Jadhav. Nick Davies, partner at Axis Property Consultancy LLP, acted as property consultant for Boohoo.

The six-story office building located at 10 Great Pulteney Street will become home to all London-based product, marketing, technology and central support teams – approximately 600 staff – as well as offering flexible working for Boohoo staff.

Gareth Birch said: “As a longstanding client, we’re absolutely delighted to have advised Boohoo on the acquisition of such a prestigious building in London’s West End.

“Boohoo is a real success story for Manchester and the North West and this latest move, which bolsters its expanding property portfolio and cements its presence in the capital, is testament to its exceptional growth in recent years and the boom in online retail, particularly over the last 12 months.”

The purchase of the 43,963 sq. ft. building, follows Boohoo’s acquisition of Debenhams out of administration and several Arcadia brands, including Oasis, Warehouse, Dorothy Perkins, Burton and Wallis, which significantly grow its presence in London.

Nick Davies added: “We were delighted to assist Boohoo in securing the premises, given the interest from other high-profile global brands. The premises is in the heart of Soho, providing a vibrant London West End headquarters building and a strong commitment to the city.”

Pannone Corporate has expanded its team with a triple appointment as it looks to strengthen the law firm across its specialisms.

Michael McNally and Adam Pavey have both joined as directors in the Employment and HR team. James Brandwood joins the firm as a Real Estate associate.

Michael and Adam will be responsible for advising clients on all aspects of employment law, including providing regular representation and advocacy in the Employment Tribunal.

Michael, who joins from Freeths LLP in Liverpool, has particular experience in acting for SMEs through to multi-nationals in the manufacturing, transport and logistics, hospitality and leisure and care sectors. Adam was formerly a solicitor at Poole Alcock, where he helped to develop the Cheshire firm’s employment department, with clients spanning a number of sectors. He has a particular specialist interest in healthcare.

Pannone Corporate’s employment team works with a wide range of clients, predominantly those with 400-500 employees across a number of sectors, including social housing, manufacturing, retail and hospitality.

James, who joins from Addleshaw Goddard, will work alongside a highly experienced Real Estate team, led by partner, James Wynne, which advises on a wide range of commercial real estate matters for major property groups, together with national retail and leisure operators. James will be responsible for property acquisitions and disposals, financings, as well as development, landlord and tenant transactions.

Paul Jonson, senior partner at Pannone Corporate, commented: “Both the Employment and Real Estate teams have built up an excellent reputation in recent years for their experience and expertise across their core specialisms. We’re committed to enhancing that offering and the appointment of Michael, Adam and James is testament to that drive and ambition.”

The Real Estate team recently advised Palmbest Limited, part of the Bestway Group of companies, on the acquisition of Staples Corner Shopping Park, leading the £28 million retail park transaction.