Mayer Brown advised a 50:50 joint venture between Wing Tai Properties and Manhattan on a major refurbishment and lease regear at 30 Gresham Street covering more than 350,000 sq ft, creating a shared London headquarters for Investec and Rathbones and affecting lender tenants including Commerzbank.
London — Mayer Brown has advised 30 Gresham Street Limited, the joint venture between Wing Tai Properties Limited and Manhattan Holdings Limited, on an extensive building upgrade and lease regears that cover more than 350,000 sq ft of net internal area at 30 Gresham Street. The deal involves three lender tenants — Investec, Rathbones and Commerzbank — and, according to the original release, ranks among the capital’s largest lease regears of 2025. The project is set to deliver a high-quality home for both Investec and Rathbones, with a substantial refurbishment underway as the two wealth-management tenants prepare to share London headquarters in the City. Mayer Brown’s team was led by Real Estate partner Chris Harvey and included senior associate Alice Miller, with support from a broader group; Oxygen acted as agent for 30 Gresham Street Limited.
The transaction is described as a 50:50 joint venture between Wing Tai Properties Limited and Manhattan Holdings Limited, spearheading a substantial upgrade and regears for more than 350,000 sq ft of office space. Three lender tenants — Investec, Rathbones and Commerzbank — are affected, and the regears are being positioned to establish a shared London HQ for Investec and Rathbones. The deal has been characterised as one of London’s largest lease regears in 2025, with Mayer Brown’s engagement again led by Chris Harvey and a team that included Alice Miller; Oxygen acted as agent on the project. The City’s coverage of the wider context notes that the Rathbones–Investec Wealth & Investment merger plans have included moves toward consolidating operations at 30 Gresham Street, underscoring the building’s evolving role in the City’s wealth-management landscape.
Cross-border background and the site’s evolving role in London’s property landscape are highlighted by historic arrangements around 30 Gresham Street. Slaughter and May, acting for Wing Tai Properties in Hong Kong, advised on the Hong Kong Listing Rules aspects of a property joint venture with Manhattan Garments Holdings Limited for the acquisition of the leasehold interests in 30 Gresham Street, with the joint venture split 50:50 between Wing Tai and Manhattan Garments and completion of the transaction in December 2018. This cross-border backdrop illustrates the complexity of UK property investments that involve Hong Kong-listed entities and multi-jurisdictional diligence. Rathbones’ own materials further corroborate the building’s centrality to its operations: the Rathbones London office page identifies 30 Gresham Street, EC2V 7QN, as the firm’s head office in the City, reflecting the address’s significance for the group’s UK footprint and its integration within the 30 Gresham Street complex.
Reference Map:
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/news/2025/08/mayer-brown-advises-wing-tai-properties-limited-and-manhattan-holdings-limited-on-building-upgrade-and-lease-regear-of-30-gresham-street-london – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/news/2025/08/mayer-brown-advises-wing-tai-properties-limited-and-manhattan-holdings-limited-on-building-upgrade-and-lease-regear-of-30-gresham-street-london – London – Mayer Brown acted for landlord 30 Gresham Street Limited, a 50:50 joint venture of Wing Tai Properties Limited and Manhattan Holdings Limited, on a substantial building upgrade and lease regear covering over 350,000 sq ft of NIA office space at 30 Gresham Street. The undertaking affected three lender tenants: Investec, Rathbones and Commerzbank, with the regears expected to establish a shared London HQ for Investec and Rathbones. The transaction is described as one of London’s largest lease regears in 2025. The Mayer Brown team was led by Chris Harvey, with Alice Miller and others; Oxygen acted as agent.
- https://www.slaughterandmay.com/recent-work/slaughter-and-may-hong-kong-advised-wing-tai-properties-on-a-property-joint-venture-with-manhattan-garments/ – Slaughter and May, Hong Kong, advised Wing Tai Properties Limited on the Hong Kong Listing Rules aspects of forming a property joint venture with Manhattan Garments Holdings Limited for the acquisition of the leasehold interests in 30 Gresham Street, London. The joint venture holds 50% by Wing Tai and Manhattan Garments, with completion of the transaction on 20 December 2018 and classification as a major transaction under the Hong Kong listing regime. The engagement demonstrates the cross-border complexity of UK property investments and the need for compliance across jurisdictions. This event underscores regulatory diligence and cross-border collaboration in real estate.
- https://www.estatesgazette.co.uk/news/wing-tai-and-manhattan-garments-complete-city-office-block-acquisition/ – Estates Gazette reports that Wing Tai Properties and Manhattan Garments Group completed the acquisition of 30 Gresham Street, EC2, London, a 400,000 sq ft City office block. The joint venture, held 50:50, bought the property from Samsung Life Insurance for around £425m, with completion in late November 2018. The building, overlooking the Guildhall, is let for a further ten years to Commerzbank and Investec. Buyers’ advisers included Cushman Wakefield, Mayer Brown, Knight Frank and CBRE, while DWS and Clifford Chance advised the seller. The transaction underlined continued appetite for prime London offices among Asian investors. Deal signalled strong cross-border interest.
- https://www.cityam.com/rathbones-merger-with-investec-wealth-progressing-well-but-outflows-elevated/ – City AM reports on the Rathbones and Investec Wealth & Investment merger progress, noting that Rathbones’ London office will relocate to 30 Gresham Street, IW&I’s London headquarters, as part of the integration. The piece cites run-rate synergies of £10.6m and outlines offices being combined across multiple sites, with London personnel moving to 30 Gresham Street later in 2024. It highlights that Investec will take a stake in the enlarged Rathbones Group and that the move will help realise the merger’s scale benefits. The article underscores the reshaping of the City’s wealth management landscape through the landmark merger in London finance.
- https://www.rathbones.com/en-gb/wealth-management/about-us/offices/london – Rathbones’ London office page confirms 30 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7QN as the address for its head office. The page describes the London HQ within the City, noting accessibility and client-facing facilities and providing contact details for new and existing clients. It corroborates the building’s location at 30 Gresham Street and aligns with investments in the City property market. The content illustrates Rathbones’ presence at the property and its role within the broader 30 Gresham Street complex, supporting the article’s claims about the building housing Rathbones. This source confirms the physical footprint and brand alignment within London’s City office market today.
- https://www.investec.com/en_gb/wealth/our-offices/london.html – Investec Wealth & Investment (UK) lists its London office at 30 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7QN, as part of the Rathbones Group. The page describes the firm’s London headquarters location and indicates hosting facilities for private clients and professional partners. It confirms the address and underscores Investec’s connection to Rathbones following the merger, which integrates Investec Wealth & Investment into Rathbones and moves to occupy the City premises alongside Rathbones. The content corroborates 30 Gresham Street as a focal point for wealth management activities in the City, aligning with the Mayer Brown article’s lease regears and relocations in London’s City.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
Earliest publication of this specific regear / building-upgrade announcement appears to be the Mayer Brown release dated 20 August 2025. ([mayerbrown.com](https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/news/2025/08/mayer-brown-advises-wing-tai-properties-limited-and-manhattan-holdings-limited-on-building-upgrade-and-lease-regear-of-30-gresham-street-london?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
Related elements of the narrative (notably that Rathbones and Investec would consolidate at 30 Gresham Street) were reported earlier (Rathbones/Investec combination disclosures and City commentary dating from 2023–2025), so parts of the story are recycled context rather than entirely new reporting. ([rathbones.com](https://www.rathbones.com/media-centre/news-and-comment/rathbones-group-completes-combination-investec-wealth-investment-uk?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [cityam.com](https://www.cityam.com/rathbones-merger-with-investec-wealth-progressing-well-but-outflows-elevated/?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
No evidence of wide republishing of this Mayer Brown notice across low-quality clickbait networks at the time of checking — the announcement appears to originate from the law firm’s own publication. ([mayerbrown.com](https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/news/2025/08/mayer-brown-advises-wing-tai-properties-limited-and-manhattan-holdings-limited-on-building-upgrade-and-lease-regear-of-30-gresham-street-london?utm_source=chatgpt.com)) If older versions included different figures (e.g. 2018 acquisition data), those are historical background (JV completion Dec 2018) and should be distinguished from the 2025 regear announcement. ([slaughterandmay.com](https://www.slaughterandmay.com/recent-work/slaughter-and-may-hong-kong-advised-wing-tai-properties-on-a-property-joint-venture-with-manhattan-garments/?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
Quotes check
Score:
9
Notes:
The only direct quote in the text (from Chris Harvey) appears in the Mayer Brown release and no identical instances were found earlier in our searches — suggesting the quote is original to this press notice. ([mayerbrown.com](https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/news/2025/08/mayer-brown-advises-wing-tai-properties-limited-and-manhattan-holdings-limited-on-building-upgrade-and-lease-regear-of-30-gresham-street-london?utm_source=chatgpt.com)) Because the quote is embedded in a firm press notice, re-use by other outlets would be expected if they republished the notice verbatim; at time of check we found no independent earlier usage. ([mayerbrown.com](https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/news/2025/08/mayer-brown-advises-wing-tai-properties-limited-and-manhattan-holdings-limited-on-building-upgrade-and-lease-regear-of-30-gresham-street-london?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
Source reliability
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative is published by Mayer Brown (an international law firm) — a reputable, verifiable organisation; this strengthens credibility. ([mayerbrown.com](https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/news/2025/08/mayer-brown-advises-wing-tai-properties-limited-and-manhattan-holdings-limited-on-building-upgrade-and-lease-regear-of-30-gresham-street-london?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
The named parties (Wing Tai Properties; Manhattan / Manhattan Garments / Manhattan Holdings; Oxygen) are verifiable: Wing Tai maintains corporate filings/announcements, and the 2018 JV/acquisition history is documented. ([wingtaiproperties.com](https://wingtaiproperties.com/en-US/Announcements?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [marketscreener.com](https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/SAMSUNG-LIFE-INSURANCE-CO-6500956/news/Wing-Tai-Properties-Limited-and-Manhattan-Garments-Holdings-Limited-completed-the-acquisition-of-an-34474027/?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [slaughterandmay.com](https://www.slaughterandmay.com/recent-work/slaughter-and-may-hong-kong-advised-wing-tai-properties-on-a-property-joint-venture-with-manhattan-garments/?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
Oxygen (the asset/asset-management adviser referenced) has a public presence and lists 30 Gresham Street in its materials, consistent with Mayer Brown’s note. ([oxygenam.com](https://www.oxygenam.com/about-us/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)) No sign the report stems from an unverifiable or single-anonymous source — it is a firm press notice describing a client engagement, which is normal practice for such legal / property announcements. ([mayerbrown.com](https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/news/2025/08/mayer-brown-advises-wing-tai-properties-limited-and-manhattan-holdings-limited-on-building-upgrade-and-lease-regear-of-30-gresham-street-london?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
The core claims are plausible and consistent with public records: 30 Gresham Street is a large City office (c.386,000 sq ft) so a regear covering >350,000 sq ft is feasible. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_Gresham_Street?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
The named tenants (Investec, Rathbones, Commerzbank) have longstanding links to 30 Gresham Street in filings and firm pages; public company notices have previously said the combined Rathbones/Investec London office would operate from 30 Gresham Street. ([investec.com](https://www.investec.com/en_gb/wealth/our-offices/london.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [rathbones.com](https://www.rathbones.com/media-centre/news-and-comment/rathbones-group-completes-combination-investec-wealth-investment-uk?utm_source=chatgpt.com)) The narrative bundles current regear detail with historical JV/acquisition context (2018 completion) — readers should not conflate historic purchase terms with the 2025 regears. ([marketscreener.com](https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/SAMSUNG-LIFE-INSURANCE-CO-6500956/news/Wing-Tai-Properties-Limited-and-Manhattan-Garments-Holdings-Limited-completed-the-acquisition-of-an-34474027/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)) No independent reputable reporting (e.g. Reuters, FT) of the exact Mayer Brown regear text was found at time of check — this is consistent with the item being a firm press notice rather than an editorial investigation, but editors should note it’s primarily a primary-source (law-firm) announcement. ([mayerbrown.com](https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/news/2025/08/mayer-brown-advises-wing-tai-properties-limited-and-manhattan-holdings-limited-on-building-upgrade-and-lease-regear-of-30-gresham-street-london?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is a law-firm press notice published by Mayer Brown on 20 August 2025 and is the earliest identified publication of the specific lease-regear / upgrade details. ([mayerbrown.com](https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/news/2025/08/mayer-brown-advises-wing-tai-properties-limited-and-manhattan-holdings-limited-on-building-upgrade-and-lease-regear-of-30-gresham-street-london?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
Elements of the story (Rathbones/Investec consolidation at 30 Gresham Street and the property’s 2018 JV history) pre-date this notice and have been publicly reported (Rathbones/Investec combination statements and the 2018 acquisition), so some background is recycled context rather than breaking news. ([rathbones.com](https://www.rathbones.com/media-centre/news-and-comment/rathbones-group-completes-combination-investec-wealth-investment-uk?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [cityam.com](https://www.cityam.com/rathbones-merger-with-investec-wealth-progressing-well-but-outflows-elevated/?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [marketscreener.com](https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/SAMSUNG-LIFE-INSURANCE-CO-6500956/news/Wing-Tai-Properties-Limited-and-Manhattan-Garments-Holdings-Limited-completed-the-acquisition-of-an-34474027/?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
Key risks/notes for editors: (1) this is a primary press notice from a reputable firm — high trust in the provenance but limited independent reportage of the same transactional detail at time of check; (2) quotes appear original to the notice; (3) the named counterparties and occupational facts (Investec, Rathbones, Commerzbank; building size) are verifiable in public records. ([mayerbrown.com](https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/news/2025/08/mayer-brown-advises-wing-tai-properties-limited-and-manhattan-holdings-limited-on-building-upgrade-and-lease-regear-of-30-gresham-street-london?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [commerzbank.de](https://www.commerzbank.de/group/who-we-are/commerzbank-worldwide/?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_Gresham_Street?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
Recommendation: label the item as a firm press release/announcement (so readers understand its provenance), note the previously reported consolidation plans (2023–2025) as context, and (if necessary) seek a direct confirmation from one of the occupying tenants or the landlord for independent comment before further editorial amplification. ([mayerbrown.com](https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/news/2025/08/mayer-brown-advises-wing-tai-properties-limited-and-manhattan-holdings-limited-on-building-upgrade-and-lease-regear-of-30-gresham-street-london?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [rathbones.com](https://www.rathbones.com/media-centre/news-and-comment/rathbones-group-completes-combination-investec-wealth-investment-uk?utm_source=chatgpt.com))