Allen & Overy’s former head of real estate finance Mark O’Neill is joining rival magic circle law firm Linklaters.
O’Neill officially retired from Allen & Overy last year after more than 20 years there, latterly as head of the REF group and having been a partner in the banking practice since 1995.


A well-known figure in the world of European real estate finance, two years ago he was instrumental in producing an inter-creditor agreement for real estate senior and mezzanine lenders on behalf of the Loan Market Association.
Linklaters’ global head of banking, Tony Bugg, said O’Neill was recognised as “one of the pre-eminent real estate finance practitioners in the European market…We are committed to developing the broader real estate sector. We’re excited by Mark’s hire and are confident that he will help us go from strength to strength.”