Lodders has recruited property development and investment specialist Chris Dewes as a partner to help drive its Real Estate Group’s commercial property development and investment services.
Responding to a surge in demand for its specialist advice, Lodders has created a new Commercial Property Development and Investment team, which consolidates and formalises its dedicated and integrated legal services and advice, particularly for real estate companies and developers, institutional pension funds, and investors.
As a real estate partner, Chris Dewes will support the new team’s head Paul Mourton, who is also Lodders’ Managing Partner, and the 40-strong real estate group, which boasts many of the region’s leading lawyers in construction, planning, environmental law, strategic land and biodiversity.
Joining Lodders after eight years as Legal Director at Pinsent Masons LLP in Birmingham, Chris brings considerable experience in the commercial property development and investment arena, having acted for developer clients for over 20 years.
“Lodders already operates at a high level in the commercial property development and investment sector, and has formalised its extensive services with the new Commercial Property Development and Investment team,” explains Paul Mourton.
An integrated and specialist real estate service
“This new team will continue to deliver an integrated and specialist service to real estate developers, investors and owner occupiers of newly developed buildings, from acquisition and development, through to letting and sale,” he says, “and complements our Real Estate Group’s existing, award-winning advice.”
With a track record in ‘cradle to grave’ work and advice, Chris is known for his innovative approach and solutions when advising on acquisitions, and for working with clients and their advisers to set up a development, from negotiating pre-lets, funding and subsequent disposals, to advice on funding arrangements with banks, and forward funding with pension funds or private wealth.
Powerful addition
Mark Miller, partner and Head of Lodders’ Real Estate Group, comments: “Chris is well-known for his legal agility and ingenuity to devise innovative solutions that unlock deals for clients. As one of the region’s preeminent and most experienced development and investment legal advisers, Chris is a powerful addition to the Lodders team. His broad expertise, legal skills and knowledge, and technical experience in hotel, retail, office development, residential and mixed-use schemes, enhances our comprehensive service offering.”
Chris, who will be based at Lodders’ Birmingham office, says: “Lodders’ clients include some of the most active and successful developers, operators and investors in the industrial and logistics, office, retail, leisure and mixed-use sectors, who choose the firm for its commercially astute legal advice and highly personal, client-focused service.
Unique opportunity
“This is a unique opportunity to launch and develop Lodders’ new legal service offering, and to work as part of one of the region’s largest and most accomplished and experienced real estate groups that boasts many of the sector’s leading lawyers in construction, planning, environmental law, strategic land and biodiversity.
“I have worked with Lodders in the past and been impressed with its approach and dedication to client service. This and its values and culture are a good fit with my own.”
Real Estate Group
Lodders’ Real Estate Group provides a full legal service on all aspects of acquiring, managing, developing, investing, and disposing of property. In 2021, it started to formalise the different specialisms within the team to provide a full-service legal offering, and saw fee income grow by 17% and new instructions by 21%.
One of the largest real estate teams in the Midlands with 40 specialist real estate, land development, renewable energy, environmental, planning, construction, and highways legal experts, it provides outstanding legal advice and exceptional service for many of the most active developers, investors and land promoters across the region.
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