Muscular Dystrophy UK

Member Board Of Trustees

Muscular Dystrophy UK is the charity for 70,000 people living with muscle-wasting conditions. It makes a difference today, by providing vital information and support to help people live independently. It makes a difference for tomorrow, by accelerating progress in research and driving the campaign for access to emerging treatments.

The Microscope Ball is Muscular Dystrophy UK’s single biggest fundraising event and has raised over £2million net for the charity to date.  Thanks to the support of the property industry the charity has played a vital role in funding research into the most devastating muscle wasting conditions as well as providing vital support to families, campaigning to raise awareness and awarding grants towards the cost of specialist equipment.

Committee Member - Microscope Ball Organising Committee (property industry backed fundraiser)

JMW Solicitors LLP

I deliver commercial real estate investment transactions for private and institutional participants alongside a range of asset management, development, funding, tenant representation and M&A deals.

Partner, Commercial Real Estate, London

Investment Property Forum

The IPF Next Generation Group provides a network for the next generation of professionals in the UK property investment industry.  Its membership includes fund managers, private equity principals, real estate investment agents, lawyers, accountants, investment managers, consultants and bankers.

My role on the Next Generation Committee is to organise and deliver events tailored to meet the needs of future property industry leaders.  Those events include market briefings from sector-leading guest speakers, technical seminars, networking events (including the annual ‘Not at MIPIM’ and ‘Not at EXPO’ breakfasts) and visits to high-profile development sites (which, in the past, have included visits to the Battersea Power Station, King’s Cross and Leadenhall Building projects).

Committee Member - IPF Future Leaders

Fox Williams

Focusing on investment transactions for private and institutional investors alongside a range of asset management, development, real estate finance, tenant representation and M&A deals.
Recent highlights include:
•	representing a subsidiary of a listed software company on the sale and leaseback of its London office HQ
•	acting for a management company in relation to a proposed rooftop development on an existing residential scheme
•	advising a developer in relation to a number of residential and mixed-use development schemes
•	representing a financial services firm on the acquisition of multiple floors in a flagship City office tower
•	acting for a UK top 20 business services firm on its acquisition by a listed professional services group
•	acting for a technology company on its corporate acquisition of a specialist software provider, which involved real estate assets in the UK, Greece and Uruguay

Partner

CMS UK

Advising as lead real estate counsel to:

•	SWIP / Aberdeen Asset Management (now known as Aberdeen Standard Investments) on in excess of £400m worth of investment acquisitions and disposals in the office, PRS, retail and industrial subsectors;
•	iQ Student Accommodation in connection with the JV established by Wellcome Trust, Goldman Sachs and Greystar to create one of the largest providers of student accommodation in the UK; and in relation to the JV’s ongoing active asset management initiatives and own-account real estate requirements including the acquisition of its London Bridge HQ;
•	Telereal Trillium on its proposed acquisition of a private house builder with substantial land holdings; 
•	Lloyds Bank and Wells Fargo in relation to a central London resi-led mixed-use syndicated development loan facility;
•	US, UK, Norwegian and Japanese corporates in the fashion, media, financial services, technology and real estate sectors on their own-account London HQ office moves; 
•	Waterford Wedgwood Royal Doulton (now part of Fiskars Corporation) in relation to the redevelopment of its HQ and manufacturing facilities, including its partnership with a house builder to promote and develop new residential communities on its significant land holdings; and
•	Savills in respect of its corporate acquisition of Smiths Gore; and on some of its own-account real estate requirements including the acquisition of its Finsbury Circus offices.

Senior Associate

Dundas & Wilson (which merged with CMS in 2014)

Dundas & Wilson merged with CMS UK in May 2014.

At Dundas & Wilson I really got my teeth stuck into the UK real estate sector, acting for the likes of Land Securities on retail asset management mandates, Scottish Widows Investment Partnership Property Trust (SWIPPT, now known as Aberdeen UK Property Fund) on investment acquisitions, disposals and asset management and Clydesdale Bank on distressed real estate workout situations.

Slaughter and May

At Slaugher and May I gained a first class introduction to the UK real estate sector.

I started out in January 2007 as an Associate having relocated from Australia to the UK, and by the end of that year had acted for the likes of Grosvenor in relation to its 'Liverpool One' regeneration scheme and Sunlight (now known as Berendsen) on its own-account real estate requirements.

Associate

MinterEllison

I moved to Minter Ellison in 2005 on the recommendation of, and primarily in order to work with, the property Counsel of Multiplex Developments.  Here I also had the opportunity to cut my teeth on occupier work acting for the Australian Federal Government in relation to its own-account real estate requirements.

It wasn't long, though, before the opportunity to live and work in London became too strong to resist...

Lawyer

Norton Rose Fulbright (predecessor firm, Deacons)

I obtained my professional qualification in Australia while doing my training contract with Deacons.  I continued to work there as a qualified solicitor for a couple of years post-qualification.  Here I cut my teeth working on property development, investment and finance deals for the likes of  Consolidated Propertes, Stockland and Rabobank.

My time at Deacons included a secondment as the interim General Counsel of Consolidated Properties Group.  Weekly boardroom strategy meetings were a highlight, and served to open my eyes to the cut and thrust of doing deals in the property sector.

Trainee, then Qualified Lawyer

Legal 500 2019: "[Scott] Keown has a strong track record representing clients in the real estate sector on strategic acquisitions".

I am a law firm partner with expert skills and experience in the UK commercial real estate sector.

I'm very much engaged with the wider property sector, including in my roles on the Investment Property Forum’s (IPF) Next Generation Committee and the organising committee of Muscular Dystrophy UK's annual property-industry-backed Microscope Ball fundraiser.

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