Eversheds Sutherland advises Annington on £6bn sale and settlement of legal proceedings
Married Quarters Estates sold to Ministry of Defence
January 09, 2025
Eversheds Sutherland has advised Annington Property Limited, one of the largest private owners of residential property in the UK, on the sale of the Married Quarters Estate (MQE) to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for £6bn.
The deal sees Annington transferring the remainder of its 999-year leases of the MQE back to the MOD with Annington acquiring from MOD the freehold of 159 properties within four months as well as a further £55M of units to be identified by MOD within 12 months.
The transaction resolves all outstanding claims between the parties, including existing legal proceedings regarding enfranchisement, and terminates all significant contractual arrangements relating to the MQE.
The Eversheds Sutherland real estate team was led by Partner, Geraint Pullin Thomas, and also included Legal Directors Jonathan Woodward and Caroline Andresier and Consultant, Emma Andersen.
The Eversheds Sutherland litigation team was led by Partner, Will Densham, and included Principal Associate, Charlotte Miller, and Senior Associate, Barney Gush.
Geraint Pullin Thomas, Partner, commented:
“This £6bn sale is one of the largest property transactions ever in the UK. It marks a conclusion to one of the most high-profile cases in UK real estate in recent years. The established collaborative working relationship we have with Annington was essential to the successful outcome."
William Densham, Partner, commented:
"The settlement is a monumental achievement, and working with Annington over many years and at completion of this process has been a pleasure. The scale, complexity and profile of the deal required careful coordination across multiple teams, and I’m proud of how the entire Eversheds Sutherland team worked together to ensure its successful completion."
The transaction resolves all outstanding claims between the parties, including existing legal proceedings regarding enfranchisement, and terminates all significant contractual arrangements relating to the MQE.
The Eversheds Sutherland real estate team was led by Partner, Geraint Pullin Thomas, and also included Legal Directors Jonathan Woodward and Caroline Andresier and Consultant, Emma Andersen.
The Eversheds Sutherland litigation team was led by Partner, Will Densham, and included Principal Associate, Charlotte Miller, and Senior Associate, Barney Gush.
Geraint Pullin Thomas, Partner, commented:
“This £6bn sale is one of the largest property transactions ever in the UK. It marks a conclusion to one of the most high-profile cases in UK real estate in recent years. The established collaborative working relationship we have with Annington was essential to the successful outcome."
William Densham, Partner, commented:
"The settlement is a monumental achievement, and working with Annington over many years and at completion of this process has been a pleasure. The scale, complexity and profile of the deal required careful coordination across multiple teams, and I’m proud of how the entire Eversheds Sutherland team worked together to ensure its successful completion."
Latest Insights
- legal updatesEU WEEE Directive Reform: Tighter Rules, Rising Costs
- legal updatesPart 3a of What is the role of Gen AI in Litigation Series
- guides and reportsEU Cyber Resilience Act: Single Reporting Platform Goes Live
- legal updatesHong Kong: PCPD issues further guidance on best practices in the use of agentic AI
Latest News
- firm newsEversheds Sutherland strengthens top-ranked pensions practice with appointment of former Global Head of Pensions
- firm newsBalancing risk and security: Eversheds Sutherland advises the Trustee of the ICAEW Staff Pension Fund on £58m buy-in
- client newsEversheds Sutherland advises H.I.G. Capital on investment in Phoenix ME
- client newsEversheds Sutherland reappointed to the UK's Government Commercial Agency legal services framework
Latest Events
- virtual | September 16, 2026Education Webinar - IP commercialisation for education institutions
- virtual | September 17, 2026Education Webinar - Generative AI in education
- in-person | September 17, 2026Basic foundations of US employment law
- virtual | September 23, 2026Student Sponsor Compliance Visits: Are You Prepared?
legal updates
September 10, 2026
EU WEEE Directive Reform: Tighter Rules, Rising Costs
legal updates
September 10, 2026
Part 3a of What is the role of Gen AI in Litigation Series
guides and reports
September 10, 2026
EU Cyber Resilience Act: Single Reporting Platform Goes Live
legal updates
September 10, 2026
Hong Kong: PCPD issues further guidance on best practices in the use of age...
firm news
August 26, 2026
Eversheds Sutherland strengthens top-ranked pensions practice with appointm...
firm news
August 19, 2026
Balancing risk and security: Eversheds Sutherland advises the Trustee of th...
client news
August 13, 2026
Eversheds Sutherland advises H.I.G. Capital on investment in Phoenix ME
client news
August 13, 2026
Eversheds Sutherland reappointed to the UK's Government Commercial Agency l...
virtual
Education Webinar - IP commercialisation for education institutions
September 16, 2026
11:00AM - 12:00PM
virtual
Education Webinar - Generative AI in education
September 17, 2026
11:00AM -12PM
Manchester, United Kingdom
in-person
Basic foundations of US employment law
September 17, 2026
9.30am - 4.30pm (GMT)
London, United Kingdom
virtual
Student Sponsor Compliance Visits: Are You Prepared?
September 23, 2026
11:00AM - 12:00PM