RACHEL Dunn, associate in Dentons’ Glasgow office, has been appointed chair of Women in Property’s Central Scotland branch for 2020/21. She takes on this regional role for the national property and construction industry lobbying and networking organisation from 1st March 2020, for one year until 28th February 2021.
Rachel has been a member of Women in Property for over two years and has been active on the regional committee taking on the role of vice chair for the last year. An associate at Dentons, Rachel is a dual-qualified real estate lawyer within the Real Estate practice. She is based in Glasgow, though frequently works on transactions alongside colleagues in Dentons’ five other offices across Scotland and England, primarily in London.
Rachel has experience in the investment, development, retail, industrial, office, residential, operational and mixed-use sectors, acting for investors and developers, banks, other funders, major retailers, industrials, cinema operators, house builders, pension funds and other end users. In her forthcoming year, Rachel will help grow the work Women in Property has been doing across the country, from encouraging young women into the industry through its school’s outreach programme to preparing women for promotion to senior roles.
Rachel said, “The industry has come a long way but we know there is still lots of work to do, particularly in retaining talented women and promotion to more senior roles. We need more women in leadership roles in order to challenge stereotypes, celebrate diversity, champion role models and achieve a more balanced workplace.
“Through Women in Property we are able to use our influence to help businesses make cultural change, which is good for everyone. This could include anything from running events that focus on wellness, to training women to speak with confidence publicly, to expanding industry know-how through CPD events and site visits. Women in Property gives women in the industry the network, skills and confidence to influence this change.”
Virginia Glastonbury, partner in Dentons’ UK Real Estate team said, “Dentons is absolutely delighted by Rachel’s well deserved appointment as Central Scotland Branch Chairman of Women in Property. It’s a terrific and much needed organisation and always good to see women networking and supporting each other. Initiatives such as the school outreach programme as well as supporting women seeking out senior roles show the range of the work done by Women In Property and I know Rachel is passionate about initiatives such as these and full of ideas.”
Over the past year, Dentons’ UK Real Estate team has picked up Planning Law Firm of the Year at the Planning Awards 2019, been a finalist at the EG Awards, Scottish Property Awards, Scottish Legal Awards and The Herald Law Awards of Scotland, expanded through the hires of partners Deepa Deb and Bonnie Calnan in London, and advised on several high profile transactions such as Doosan Babcock’s continued occupation of its site in Renfrew (which was billed as Scotland’s largest industrial property deal in 2019) and Sports Direct’s sale and leaseback of its Derbyshire distribution centre.
