UK real estate business Canary Wharf Group (CWG) has hired Rachel Walker as group general counsel, a newly created position.
Walker joins from alternative investment manager Ares Management, where she was a managing director. At CWG, she will oversee all legal, governance, risk, compliance and insurance-related matters. She will join the business next month.
London-based CWG’s real estate portfolio includes the Canary Wharf Estate, Wood Wharf and Southbank Place.
Shobi Khan, CEO at CWG, said: “[Walker’s] breadth of experience across legal, risk, compliance and governance, combined with her deep understanding of the real estate sector, further strengthens our leadership team.
“Rachel’s track record of building and integrating high‑performing functions will be invaluable as we continue to develop the business and advance our long‑term strategy. We look forward to working with her as she brings her expertise, energy and perspective to CWG.”
Walker spent just over a year at Ares Management after it acquired her former company GLP Capital Partners, where she was GC and chief administrative officer. Prior to that she was GC at GLP Europe and IDI Gazeley, having previously worked as a real estate lawyer at Herbert Smith Freehills for more than a decade.
She said: “CWG is redefining how urban environments can thrive with nature, and I’m energised by the scale of that vision. I look forward to partnering with my team and colleagues across the business to help drive this next chapter – strengthening our foundations while enabling the organisation to move faster, think bigger and deliver on its long‑term ambitions for the estate and the communities we serve.”
Walker is also a judge at the Women and Diversity in Law Awards, which is hosted by Global Legal Post.
In other recent real estate-related in-house moves, back in November US real estate investment firm Passco Companies hired Thomas Voekler as chief legal officer from Williams Mullen, where he was a partner.
Back in September, US residential real estate broker Compass hired Cooley partner Ethan Glass as CLO, replacing GC Brad Serwin. And last May, US real estate investment firm KHP Capital Partners hired Alex Lewis as GC from Goodwin Procter.
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