Brabners Chaffe Street has cued up its largest-ever corporate mandate, with the northwest firm securing an eye-catching role on the launch of a new £2bn European property fund for a private investment group.

The Manchester-based firm is advising existing client Active Asset Investment Management (aAIM) on its joint agreement with Bank of Scotland Corporate, a division of financial giant Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS).

The deal, which was formally agreed last month, sees aAIM and HBOS each plough an initial £100m into the scheme, dubbed Symmetry Property Fund, which will be used for a programme of investment in commercial real estate across continental Europe.

AAIM currently counts a number of high-profile figures among its key investors including England football captain John Terry, Sir David Frost and Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Brabners corporate partners Mike Blood and Sam Mabon advised the company on the back of an existing relation-ship that has also seen Blood named as company secretary.

Ex-James Chapman partner Blood told Legal Week: "£100m of equity goes a long way these days, [and] this deal certainly does have that extra bit of excitement and flair to it because of the people involved."

Allen & Overy acted for HBOS, which already has a 20% stake in aAIM, with associate Peter Armstrong leading the team alongside fellow associate Giles Rowbotham and assistant Victoria Bradin.

In a separate move, Brabners has also hired Marcus Difelice as a new employment partner. Difelice joins the 18-lawyer division from the Birmingham arm of national firm Eversheds, where he was an associate.