DLA Piper advises Cognita on the development and sale of an educational asset to Marquee Capital

DLA Piper has advised Cognita, an international education group, on the development and sale of a building located in Cabrera de Mar (Barcelona) to Marquee Capital, a firm specializing in real estate investment. The asset is intended to become a new international school operated by The British School of Barcelona, ​​a Cognita brand.

The transaction, structured under a forward purchase and subsequent sale & leaseback model, will allow Cognita to continue operating the school after construction is completed, under a long-term lease agreement. The building will be built on a 16,000 square meter plot and will have capacity for approximately 750 students. It will also have BREEAM Very Good environmental certification, in line with current sustainability standards.

The DLA Piper team, which participated in the transaction and primarily in the negotiation of the forward purchase and sale & leaseback agreements, as well as the tax structure, was composed of José María Oliva, partner, and Fatima Rico-Villademoros, senior associate, both from the Real Estate practice, along with Miguel Baz, partner, and Alberto Lobato, senior associate, from the Tax practice.

Regarding the transaction, Fátima Rico emphasized: "This agreement highlights the growing interest in the real estate market for the education segment within the universe of alternative real estate assets, which we believe has significant potential."

Related professionals: José Oliva, Fátima Rico-Villademoros, Miguel Baz y Alberto Lobato

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