We expand our West Midlands residential development team

After a string of successful client wins, full-service law firm Shakespeare Martineau has expanded its residential development offering in the West Midlands with the appointment of solicitor Jack Kelly.

With more than eight years’ post-qualified experience, Jack has joined the firm as a legal director from Gowling WLG.

In his new role, he will be acting for developers, landowners and promoters on all aspects of residential development, with a particular focus on open market acquisitions and disposals, promotion of land, and developer-side affordable housing deals.

Jack, who is based in Birmingham but working with clients and teams nationally, said: “I am delighted to have joined Shakespeare Martineau and was particularly attracted to the firm’s authentic and collaborative culture and beliefs, which strongly align with mine.

“I take great pleasure in seeing prospective development sites – which typically begin the development cycle as bare land – come to fruition as places in which people reside, build communities and, ultimately, spend their lives.

“There still appears to be a stigma in respect of new-build developments to some degree, but developers are becoming increasingly conscious of the need to design visually-appealing schemes that will leave a positive legacy in their local area.

“In particular, I am looking forward to using my expertise to help the residential development team deliver on client growth and assist the junior lawyers to achieve their ambitions at the firm. I also aim to build long-term relationships with clients by understanding who they are and what they want to accomplish, while providing clear, concise and pragmatic advice.”

Shakespeare Martineau’s residential development team supports house builders and developers from inception to completion, and draws on the wider expertise available within the firm, including planning issues, construction warranties and building agreements, property disputes, and corporate and tax structuring.

Neil Gosling, head of residential development at Shakespeare Martineau, said: “Jack has a wealth of experience in residential development, especially in land acquisition and disposal work for national house builders.

“He has joined the team to assist with increasing work streams due to our success in being appointed to Lovell Homes’ core legal services panel and the on boarding of a number of new developer and strategic land clients. In his role, he will also help with the supervision and development of junior fee earners.

“Despite the uncertain economic climate, our residential development team continues to grow its client base, and Jack’s appointment further strengthens our offering.”

Shakespeare Martineau is proactively seeking talented people to join the firm on its growth journey, including mergers, team recruitment and lateral hires nationally.