Mills & Reeve adds dispute specialist

National law firm Mills & Reeve has hired Richard New, formerly of Eversheds Sutherland, as a partner in its real estate disputes practice.

New, who had also been a partner at Eversheds, specialises in real estate disputes and dispute avoidance and has also built up a reputation in business rates. His role is national and will see him spend significant time in the region with clients.

Mills & Reeve said that he has led teams on rating appeals and mitigation strategies in both tribunals and the High Court,the including  Principled Offsite Logistics v Trafford case, concerning lawfulness of a rates mitigation scheme involving storage; and Store First v Moore, concerning rateability of large self-storage warehousing.

Other cases he has worked on in the region include various title and access issues around Manchester Piccadilly, and rights of light and restrictive covenant disputes for a hotel group.

Mike Edge, head of real estate in Manchester for Mills & Reeve, said: “We are delighted that Richard is joining us and we are looking forward to being able to offer his expertise for the benefit of our growing client base”.

Richard Hanson, Mills & Reeve partner and head of real estate disputes, said: “Richard is recognised by industry figures as a leader in his field for his work in business rates and this expertise will further enhance our client offering and our national reputation in real estate services relevant to our clients.”

New added: ” Mills & Reeve has an enviable reputation nationally for their real estate offering. I look forward to working with the team here, continuing to cement my reputation as one of the few solicitor experts in the field of business rates and becoming involved more generally with the real estate disputes practice.”