Westfield Europe general counsel Leon Shelley is to leave the retail giant at the end of June, in the wake of Paris-based real estate company Unibail-Rodamco's successful takeover last Thursday.

Shelley's pan-European role will be divided between two lawyers – current deputy general counsel Amanda Beattie will assume the role of UK GC, while senior legal counsel Maurizio Redondi will become head of legal in Italy.

The £18.5bn deal will see the companies combine under the new brand, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield. The combined estate will include 104 shopping centres around the world worth in the region of £53bn.

Shelley trained at legacy Herbert Smith and spent four years at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom before his 13-year tenure at Westfield began in 2005. As to what his plans are after he leaves, he said: "It has been 20 years since I started out at Herbert Smith and I am certainly looking forward to enjoying the summer before deciding on my next move."

Shearman & Sterling and Allen and Overy (A&O) advised Unibail-Rodamco on the deal, along with other teams of lawyers from France's Capstan Avocats and Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier, Dutch firm NautaDutilh and leading Australian firm Allens.

A&O tax partner James Burton in London worked with Paris-based Lacourte Raquin Tatar and Rotterdam-based Loyens & Loeff in providing tax counsel to Unibail-Rodamco, while Sullivan & Cromwell represented Unibail-Rodamco's financial advisers Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs on the deal.

Clifford Chance served as finance counsel to Unibail-Rodamco through Paris-based partner Cedric Burford.

Meanwhile, Skadden, King & Wood Mallesons (KWM), Greenberg Traurig and Debevoise & Plimpton took the lead roles for Westfield, with Australian firm Greenwoods & Herbert Smith Freehills providing tax advice on the transaction. Ilana Atlas, a former partner at KWM predecessor Mallesons Stephen Jaques, serves as an independent member of the board of directors at Westfield, whose general counsel is Simon Tuxen.

Westfield, which began in 1959 as a shopping-mall owner in the suburbs of Sydney, has since grown to own and operate 35 malls across the UK and US, including the Westfield Garden State Plaza in New Jersey, Westfield Century City in Los Angeles and the Westfield World Trade Center in New York City's financial district.

KWM has been a longstanding legal adviser to the retail giant. Jason Watts, an M&A partner with the firm in Sydney, has been leading the firm's team advising Westfield on the sale to Unibail-Rodamco, alongside Greenberg Traurig finance partner Michael Goldberg in London.

As a result of their proposed combination, Westfield and Unibail-Rodamco are hoping to reinvent themselves as a mall owner of the future, as pressures continue to mount on the retail sector as a result of decreased foot traffic and the growth of online retail.