SJ Berwin has won a lucrative instruction to advise Duelguide on its £1.9bn buy-out of the property company Chelsfield due to its long-standing relationship with Chelsfield chairman Elliott Bernerd.

The transaction saw Duelguide pay out around £895m and assume about £968m of Chelsfield’s existing bank debt. In October last year, independent directors of Chelsfield turned down a lower offer by the same vehicle.