Nick Cook, Avison Young Principal and Managing Director of the company’s U.K. operations, announced today that Alasdair Gurry and Ben Hutchen have joined the firm as Principals.
Effective immediately, Gurry and Hutchen will be based in Avison Young’s London, U.K. office. They will focus on office leasing, tenant representation and development assignments, particularly in the City of London. Gurry and Hutchen bring to Avison Young a combined 30-plus years of experience in the commercial real estate industry, most recently as partners with Strutt & Parker in London.
“We are delighted to welcome Alasdair and Ben, who are both highly regarded in thecommercial real estate industry, to Avison Young,” comments Cook. “Both are top City players who have earned much respect with their clients. Both Al and Ben understand the need to provide a high level of service to their clients, and we are so pleased that they have chosen to join Avison Young to help us continue with the high level of care that we strive to provide to our clients.”
Cook continues: “When I worked previously with Alasdair and Ben, it became apparent that they worked brilliantly individually and as a team. When I appointed them to dispose of the 4th floor 10 Old Bailey, which they did in record time and on veryfavorable terms, it soon became clearhow well they knew the market and how to structure a complicated deal. Most impressively of all, they both stayed on the case every day until the deal was done.I took the view that if I was an investor client or an occupier and I wanted a class act to advise me, I woulddefinitely want to hire these two. I am evenmore confident now that our plans in the City will develop very quickly.”
Avison Young launched its European presence in April 2014 when the company acquired Haywards LLP and opened new offices in London and Thames Valley, U.K.
During his career, Gurry has represented a wide range of tenant clients, property companies and institutional landlords. He has a strong reputation across the central London market for building solid client relationships. He draws on his experience and deep understanding of agency and landlord and tenant issues. Prior to joining Avison Young, Gurry was a national partner at Strutt & Parker, based in the City office. His career has been highlighted by many achievements and recognition as a top-level advisor.
Notable recent transactions include advising DWF LLP on a 45,000-square-foot (sf) office acquisition at the top of 20 Fenchurch Street, EC3 (the Walkie Talkie). This transaction involved negotiating terms on the development during construction. Gurry also advised DWF on the exit of two existing offices at 85 King William Street, EC4 and 60 Fenchurch Street, EC3. In addition, Gurry recently worked on one of the largest “off-plan” pre-let transactions in central London, acquiring 105,000 sf for UBM at 240 Blackfriars Road from Great Portland Estates.
“Ben and I are delighted to be joining Avison Young and to be starting a new chapter in our careers,” states Gurry. “We will continue to offer clients partnership performance, but with the offering of a global-reach company and under a unique ownership model that will allow us, as Principals, to be totally accountable for our clients’ success. Clients are looking for a difference and this is quite clearly a hallmark of Avison Young’s business model.”
Hutchen has spent the majority of his career as a partner in Strutt & Parker’s City office, specialising in occupational agency. Following his success in the City, he was recently appointed head of central London tenant representation and was based in the Mayfair head office for the last 12 months. With an extensive network of contacts, Hutchen has worked on numerous high-profile deals. Notable involvement and clients include 125 Old Broad Street, a 325,000-sf office development, on behalf of Hammerson; advising Stockland on its City portfolio; and advising Gately LLP on its London relocation to a new self-contained building.
“Mark Rose and Nick Cook are clearly two charismatic leaders. Mark has a clear vision of the international real estate market and is passionate about the difference Avison Young’s strategy will make for its clients,” adds Hutchen. “His clarity and obvious stewardship of Avison Young gave us the confidence that the company will fulfill its ambitions. At the U.K. level, we wanted to be part of a team-based environment that encouraged innovation, allowed us to care for our clients, and rewarded success. We also wanted an environment where we could truly express ourselves. Having worked with Nick in the past, we really enjoyed his style of management, and his willingness to share ideas and to do things differently for the good of the client. This experience was truly refreshing and something we want to keep repeating.”
Today’s announcement comes on the heels of Avison Young’s acquiring Sacramento, California-based Aguer Havelock Associates, Inc. on July24, 2014.
Over the past five years, Avison Young has grown from 11 to 58 offices and from 300 to more than 1,500 real estate professionals across Canada, the U.S., and in Europe.
