London—Global law firm Dentons, which has one of the world's largest real estate practices, has announced the expansion of its Real Estate team with the addition of Matt Ross.

Previously a lawyer at White & Case, Matt has a proven track record and specialised focus in the data centre sector, with experience advising data centre investors, developers and operators on acquisitions, development, and customer contracting in the context of hyperscale facilities in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. In joining the firm, Matt further enhances Dentons' existing experience and expertise in this field.

Matt's recent experience includes advising lenders on a c. €900m financing of a data centre development in Ireland and advising operators on contract negotiations with leading cloud services providers in relation to deployments in London, Ireland, Abu Dhabi and Mumbai, emphasising the breadth and global reach of his practice.

Speaking after the announcement, Rob Thompson, head of Dentons' Real Estate team in the UK, Ireland and Middle East said, "The escalating demand for data storage and processing has positioned data centres as an increasingly attractive investment opportunity. In an evolving landscape of data centre development and regulation, we're witnessing a notable surge in investor interest worldwide, prompting increased attention from governments concerned about energy consumption and environmental impact. Recognising the significance of staying ahead in this evolving sphere, we are delighted to have Matt join us to help clients to navigate these complexities and provide strategic guidance to investors in the sector".

Evan Lazar, Dentons' Global Co-Chair of Real Estate added, "Leveraging Matt's exceptional experience, as well as our multi-disciplinary team, will allow us to deliver unparalleled expertise in the booming data centre acquisitions arena across the globe. From advising on environmental compliance to negotiating complex real estate transactions, our team of global experts in real estate, planning, environmental law, construction, IT and digital transformation assist investors in seizing opportunities and mitigating risks in the fast-moving data centre market''.

Dentons has a leading real estate practice in the data centre sector, and are we're actively advising on a number of acquisition and development opportunities for hyperscale and cloud data centre campuses in continental Europe and the UK. The firm has played pivotal roles in recent major transactions such as the sale of Data4 to Brookfield Infrastructure and KKR and Global Infrastructure Partners' monumental $15 billion acquisition of CyrusOne.

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