Environmental Transaction Services - Locking Down Deals in a Pandemic !

As a result of an ever-broadening client base, our Environmental Due Diligence team formed its own Division in July (https://www.deltasimons.com/news/new-division-environmental-transaction-services/) and continue to recruit in order to meet the needs of our clients.  We are also seeing increasing demand for our associated in-house services including Flood Risk and Climate Change, Air Quality, Environmental Social and Governance (ESG), Environmental Planning and Energy & Carbon Reporting, as investors seek to maximise investment potential and increase their returns.

Deal Highlights

We provided Environmental Due Diligence (EDD) for a great number of deals in the UK and internationally in 2020.  The following are a selection and have a total transaction value in excess of £1.5bn:

As a founding member of the Inogen Alliance (https://www.inogenalliance.com/) we’ve continued to provide local in-country expertise to our clients, in support of real estate and corporate M&A transactions on a global scale.  Although we’ve been unable to meet in person this year, it’s been great to collaborate with our Inogen colleagues to deliver projects for our clients around the world.  Despite the significant restrictions due to COVID, Delta-Simons has supported projects in over 30 countries across the globe in the last 12 months. 

A Memorable Deal

As a direct result of COVID, Delta-Simons supported Next plc in the sale and leaseback of three separate real estate assets, which also later included their head office at Enderby in Leicester. Although the incredibly small windows of opportunity for these deals was a significant challenge, we were able to work with Next to provide timely commercial advice to successfully support the transactions.

Gary Robinson, Next plc Regional Estates Manager, commented – ‘’The task of selling 3 industrial warehouses at short notice due to COVID 19 seemed like a mountain to climb.  Delta-Simons completed the inspections and turned around the draft reports within a week. This would have been fast in normal circumstances, but to do this at a time when C19 lockdown and social distancing were coming into force was more than impressive. Thanks Delta-Simons, we are a very happy client”.

A Committed Team

The key to the success of our team is the ability to attract talented and ambitious individuals into the business and providing them with the opportunity to work on exciting projects.  Jayne Trevelyan, who leads our UK Real Estate team, commented, ‘Due to the continued success of the Environmental Transaction Services team, the variety of projects and clients we work with, and the career opportunities available, we’re able to attract the highest calibre candidates into the business’.

We’ve increased headcount within the business from 135 to 160, and turnover is projected to be 26% higher than in 2019, the Delta-Simons business is something I’m very proud to be part of.  We’re extremely grateful to all our clients for the continuing opportunities they provide us with, and whilst there are challenges ahead both in the UK and internationally, notably Brexit and the ongoing COVID pandemic, we are in great shape for 2021.