Hogan Lovells has been selected to serve as the Crown Estate's main litigation adviser on all non-routine matters.

The Queen's property company had been seeking a firm to advise on complex litigation since late last year, when it also launched a review of its external legal adviser roster for its urban property portfolio.

Hogan Lovells' mandate marks the first time the organisation has appointed a firm to advise specifically on largescale litigation cases across all of its property portfolios. It also marks the firm's first appointment on the Crown Estate's panel.

The review was led by Crown Estate legal director Vivienne King and in-house counsel Alex Peeke.

As a part of the tender process – which last month saw LG and Burges Salmon secure positions on the urban panel, with Burges Salmon looking after the St James' portfolio and LG the regional – Hogan Lovells was asked about proposed secondment arrangements and existing corporate social responsibility initiatives.

King said: "Hogan Lovells [will be] acting as litigation advisers for non-routine matters, which fall outside the remit of our current asset management panel appointments.

"We are sure the Hogan Lovells team will be an ideal cultural fit for our business, which is guided by our core values of commercialism, integrity and stewardship."

Hogan Lovells London real estate disputes head Nicholas Cheffings, who will manage the Crown relationship, added: "There is no organisation in the world quite like the Crown Estate. It is a prestigious client for Hogan Lovells and we are proud to be associated with it, and with what it is seeking to do."

Crown Estate's coveted Regent Street portfolio, for which SJ Berwin is currently the sole legal adviser, is not up for review until April 2012, despite technically sitting within the urban portfolio.