Law firm unveils double partner hire

Law firm Mills & Reeve has announced two new partners in the firm’s real estate team in Manchester.

Mike Edge and Rachel Pitman have joined the firm from Pinsent Masons.

Edge is a real estate lawyer in the North West and has worked for a number of high-profile clients.

He successfully led the Manchester real estate team at Pinsent Masons for seven years, overseeing many landmark deals and schemes.

Pitman is a real estate partner with experience in the North West. She has advised on many investment properties in Manchester and has worked with clients on strategically important development sites.

The appointments are part of Mills & Reeve’s plan to grow its national real estate practice.

Beverley Firth, who leads the national real estate team for Mills & Reeve, said: “Manchester’s real estate sector has demonstrated its strength and resilience in the face of challenging economic times and the uncertainty caused by Brexit.

“Residential developments have fared particularly well. The recent Deloitte Crane Survey recorded 22 new developments starting on site in the North West in the past year, up from the previous high of 14 in 2008, surpassing even pre-recession levels.

“This paints a really positive picture of the sector and we believe now is the ideal time to invest in our practice in the North West. The appointment of Mike and Rachel will help us achieve our aim of growing our real estate team to in turn help businesses and organisations in Manchester and the North West assure further strong growth.”

Mills & Reeve’s strategy to offer real estate clients in the North West an innovative service, completing complex and high value work, will be further bolstered by the lateral hires.

Senior partner Justin Ripman said: “This is another significant development in our real estate team following our merger with Maxwell Winward earlier in the year. The expansion of our Manchester team will further enhance our national network of real estate experts.

“The North West is a region with fantastic prospects for forward-thinking businesses and we aim to be at the forefront, helping our real estate clients gain access to these opportunities as well as providing an excellent service that can support them locally, regionally and nationally.”