National book retailer Waterstones has appointed Bristol-headquartered law firm Burges Salmon as sole real estate adviser to its store portfolio across the UK.
Burges Salmon’s real estate team will provide Waterstones with property management legal work generated by its stores until 2016. This will include contentious and non-contentious real estate asset management and sales, purchases and lettings.
The appointment follows an extensive competitive tender process led by head of real estate Richard Clark and senior associate Matthew Sims, with assistance from Northern Irish qualified associate Drew Nesbitt, Scottish qualified solicitor Ashley Flanagan and solicitor David Benjamin from the firm's specialist real estate disputes team. 
Waterstones operates around 280 shops across the UK and Ireland, employing more than 4,000 people. It is the UK’s only national specialist high street book retailer – its average store stocks around 30,000 individual books. Its flagship store on Piccadilly, London, is one of Europe’s biggest bookshops in Europe with around 200,000 titles.
Waterstones also owns Hatchards and Irish store Hodges Figgis. The group is carrying out an extensive store refurbishment programme including rolling out its Café W concept.
Waterstones general counsel Richard Manning said: “We were impressed by the team’s understanding of our business, its experience in the retail sector, its ability to provide real estate services in Scotland and Northern Ireland and by its obvious enthusiasm for this appointment.”
Waterstones head of property Chris Scourfield added: “As a business we are currently undergoing a transformation with significant change and investment, and we are looking forward to working with Richard and his team to achieve our strategic objectives during this exciting time for Waterstones.”
Burges Salmon’s head of real estate, Richard Clark, said: “We are extremely pleased to have secured this appointment and are very much looking forward to developing a long-lasting relationship with the Waterstones’ property team. Waterstones is a strong brand with a dynamic business plan and to be associated with such a company further boosts our growing presence in the retail sector.”
