Baker McKenzie has strengthened its Banking and Finance practice in London with the addition of Luke Harber, who joins the firm as a partner within its Real Estate Finance team. The appointment reflects the firm’s ongoing strategy to expand its transactional bench and enhance capabilities across key finance sectors.
Harber arrives from a US investment bank, bringing extensive experience in real estate finance, structured finance, and advisory work with major institutional investors. His appointment marks another step in Baker McKenzie’s broader growth plan, which has involved an accelerated pace of lateral hiring across London in recent years. The firm continues to expand its offerings in real estate finance, real estate private equity, and adjacent sectors in response to increasing client demand across EMEA.
London Managing Partner Ed Poulton noted that the expansion of the Banking and Finance practice remains a priority as the firm looks to deepen its coverage across global financial services and real estate markets. Harber’s arrival is positioned as a significant complement to the firm’s existing team and international network.
This latest hire builds on a series of senior additions at Baker McKenzie in London, including recent partners across Data and Cyber, Energy and Infrastructure, Corporate Finance, M&A, Private Equity Real Estate, Investment Funds, Restructuring and Insolvency, Tax, Antitrust and Competition, and Patent Litigation and Life Sciences. The firm describes this wave of recruitment as part of an aggressive lateral growth strategy aimed at boosting its ability to support clients with increasingly complex, cross-border mandates.
KEY QUOTES:
“I am thrilled to welcome Luke to the Firm. His deep technical expertise and experience working in the real estate finance industry make him an outstanding addition to our team. Luke’s skills perfectly complement our existing practice adding to our bench strength and expertise, and his insights into the real estate finance and structured finance sector will allow us to deliver even greater value and support to our clients. We continue to focus on growing our offering to the real estate investor community across EMEA and beyond, and we believe that this hire, following on from the recent hire of Mark Thompson in the real estate private equity space among others will make a material difference in expanding our client offering, allowing us to respond to strong client demand.”
Sebastien Marcelin-Rice, Head of Baker McKenzie’s Real Estate Finance Team in London
“I look forward to welcoming Luke to the Firm. We are pushing forward with a meaningful lateral growth strategy in London and Luke’s arrival into our Banking and Finance practice will further strengthen the service we offer to our clients both in London and across the Firm’s global network.”
Ed Poulton, London Managing Partner, Baker McKenzie
“I am excited to join Baker McKenzie as it continues to expand its Real Estate Finance and Real Estate Private Equity capabilities. Our enhanced Real Estate Finance platform will be market leading, allowing us to deliver best-in-class service to our expanding premium client base. The Firm’s collaborative culture, commitment to excellence, and international platform provide a strong foundation for growth and for advising clients on increasingly sophisticated financing structures.”
Luke Harber, Incoming Partner, Real Estate Finance
