Eversheds Sutherland hires prominent real estate litigation lateral

Rashpal Soomal joins the firm’s Litigation and Disputes practice

Eversheds Sutherland is pleased to announce the lateral hire of Rashpal Soomal, as a partner in the firm’s real estate litigation team. Rashpal joins the firm today from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, where her experience encompassed contentious property matters, development litigation and mitigation around development constraints.

With over 20 years’ experience in all aspects of contentious property matters, Rashpal has a strong focus on advising high profile developers on a range of issues arising from the intensified development of urban and city areas. She has extensive experience with ‘right to light’ matters, and advises on strategy, robust risk mitigation measures via s203 and insurance, the existence of legal rights and likely remedies, through to injunction litigation. Rashpal also advises investment banks on their development financing activity and her other clients include some of the biggest names in residential and commercial property, insurance, hotels and leisure, and real estate intermediaries.

At Eversheds Sutherland, Rashpal will work in close collaboration with the firm’s transactional Real Estate practice, specifically across finance and planning, in order to provide the firm’s clients with an outstanding suite of legal and commercial advice for their most high-profile, contentious real estate matters. Her knowledge management and advisory skills on right to light issues will prove invaluable to the firm’s clients, enhanced by her focus on litigation strategy and project management, and resourcing large projects for legal due diligence.

Will Densham, Partner, real estate litigation comments:

“I am delighted that Rashpal Soomal has chosen to join the firm. She has an excellent reputation in the legal market and her unique skillset will be of immense value to our clients and our wider disputes and real estate teams. Rashpal’s hire is an exciting addition to our team and she will support on strategically important developments, alongside strengthening our already thriving development practice, working closely with me and partner Kate Poole. We look forward to forging a great relationship with Rashpal as she builds her practice over the coming years.”

Rashpal Soomal, Partner, real estate litigation comments:

“The breadth of Eversheds Sutherland’s UK real estate litigation activity was a strong draw for me and presents great synergies for my practice. In particular, the firm’s unique matter management for end-to-end lifecycle support on large, rights of light projects, will enable me to more actively lead and project manage the process for our clients, leading to better outcomes and delivery on quality. This will become increasingly critical given the changing landscape of more aggressive claims. I look forward to working with Will and Kate to develop the “go to” rights of light and development constraints practice.”