Hill Dickinson expands property team

The law firm has announced appointments to its Manchester office bringing the total headcount across the North West property team to 71 people.

The property team has seen a 28% growth in turnover in the past 12 months and a move from tier 4 to tier 3 in Legal 500 rankings.

Darren Hamer joined as a partner from DWF. He will be working with investors on portfolio requirements including sales and purchases, lettings and provision of advice on other management issues.

Senior associate David Herbert joined from Pinsent Masons to develop the team’s property occupier practice.

The team has also welcomed, Alistair Wallworth from Crosslane and Awais Allam, previously of Squire Patton Boggs, as associates and Jon Pearson-Basudev who runs the newly created due diligence and post-completion teams. Aisha Goulbourne, Ciaran Rafferty and Laura Carroll have also been appointed to the due diligence, post completion and property finance teams as paralegals.

The total headcount in the Manchester property team is 18. There are 53 in the Liverpool property team.

Jim Purves, the firm’s head of property in Manchester, said: “We have recruited some exceptional individuals to our growing team who bring with them many years of industry experience, specialist legal property expertise and new business connections. Our approach is to create a positive circle which ensures we achieve exceptional client service and great results, deliver on-going efficiencies and create an enjoyable environment in which to work. If you get all of those factors right then growth occurs and we are certainly seeing this strategy deliver strong results.”

Hill Dickinson’s property team works with many of the UK’s leading businesses and has strong expertise in areas such as logistics, including DHL, development, clients include Peel, and retail such as Co-op Food, and motor dealerships, including Lookers, providing a comprehensive range of property-related services including construction, property litigation, environment, transactional and planning matters.