ZipTracker - Linklaters, Kirkland, A&O

Hi ZipLawyer! Here are the latest deals, court cases and news featuring your favourite law firms.

Use them to ace your applications. All of them (and more) are added to our ZipTracker database weekly.

In today's edition 👇

• 🤝 Deals featuring: Linklaters, DLA Piper, Freeths, A&O Shearman, Latham & Watkins
• ⚖️ Court cases featuring: RPC, Morgan Lewis, Norton Rose Fulbright, Stephenson Harwood, Kirkland & Ellis
• 🗞️ News featuring: CMS, Sidley, Addleshaw Goddard, Pinsent Masons, Davis Polk

🤝 Deals

Pension Power Play

In short: The UK’s largest private pension fund, Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), just bought 3,000 shared-ownership homes from Blackstone’s Sage Homes for £405 million.

What does this mean?

This move underscores a growing trend: big investors are eyeing up social housing as a solid, socially responsible investment. By snapping up these homes, USS is doubling down on its commitment to affordable housing via its new entity, Sparrow Shared Ownership. Shared ownership is an option designed to help more people onto the property ladder, but it’s not without its critics—high maintenance costs can be a burden for partial homeowners. Still, with the UK’s housing shortage showing no signs of easing, this deal could make a real difference. And for Blackstone, it’s a win-win: they pocket the cash while keeping a foothold in the sector through Sage’s ongoing customer management.

Which Law Firms are advising on this?