Shakespeare Martineau doubles down on London with six senior partner appointments 

National law firm Shakespeare Martineau has made a statement of intent in the capital – welcoming six senior partners to its London team as it reinforces its long-standing presence from its new offices on the 19th floor of The Shard.

These hires increase the depth of expertise across real estate, corporate, governance and complex disputes within the London practice.

Property litigator Stephen Scott joins from Howard Kennedy, bringing 32 years of experience advising investors, developers and asset managers across the industrial, retail, leisure, office and sports sectors. He handles the full spectrum of commercial real estate disputes, from development and asset management issues to complex portfolio litigation.

Jonathan Warren, formerly joint head of real estate disputes at Teacher Stern, adds more than 17 years’ experience in property litigation. He has led high-profile cases arising from the Building Safety Act, including some of the first remediation contribution and building liability order claims.

David Vaughan returns to Shakespeare Martineau as a commercial disputes partner. He brings extensive experience in high-value, multi-jurisdictional litigation and arbitration, representing corporates, financial institutions, sovereign states and high-net-worth individuals.

Corporate specialist Daniel Okusaga joins from KPMG with more than 15 years’ experience in public and private M&A, equity capital markets, corporate finance, group reorganisations and joint ventures. He has also led complex, cross-border legal restructuring and separation projects for major multinational organisations.

Helen Richardson, a chartered secretary, joins the firm’s company secretarial team, strengthening its governance and compliance offering. She has held senior roles at Triple Point Investment Management and JTC, where she led a team advising listed companies throughout their life cycle.

Real estate finance expert Susannah Lloyd most recently served as chief legal officer at London Wall Group, where she led all legal, corporate governance and HR functions. In her new role, she will focus on real estate finance, luxury assets and family offices.

In addition, Anita Rasaratnam has been promoted to partner, enhancing the firm’s affordable housing offering. She specialises in property development and regeneration for registered providers, focusing on site acquisitions and assemblies and stock disposals.

This growth is supported by Shakespeare Martineau’s relocation to The Shard, taking 12,000 sq ft – nearly a 25% increase on its previous London office in Gracechurch Street.

The newly refurbished office is designed for modern, agile working, offering adaptable work settings for more than 120 people. The space includes ‘touchdown’ zones, collaboration areas, acoustic booths, flexible meeting and conference spaces.

Victoria Tester, managing director at Shakespeare Martineau, said: “The appointment of exceptional talent, alongside our move to The Shard, reflects our unwavering confidence in London’s dynamic market and our long-term growth strategy.

“While others scale back, we are scaling up – investing in exceptional talent and world-class facilities to deliver outstanding expertise and service for our clients, while creating an inspiring and collaborative environment for our people to thrive and innovate.”