Law firm appoints youngest ever managing partner

A Midlands law firm has appointed a new managing partner.

Lodders, which has offices in Stratford upon Avon, Cheltenham, Birmingham and Henley in Arden, has appointed Paul Mourton in succession to Rod Bird.

At 39, Mr Mourton is the youngest person to hold the office.

Mr Mourton has been head of the firm’s Real Estate team since 2015. With more than 30 members of staff, the real estate team is one of the largest in the region.

Mr Mourton has also been the firm’s partner in charge of its Cheltenham office since it opened in 2013.

A specialist in property investment and development, particularly in the industrial and logistics sectors, Mr Mourton primarily acts for high-net-worth individuals and private family property companies across the UK.

He acts for two of the largest property PLCs in the West Midlands and one of the UK’s leading logistics firms, and originally joined Lodders in June 2008 from national firm, Charles Russell.

He has also been instrumental in developing the firm’s senior management team. This has included the appointment of the firm’s first ever IT Director in 2017, and its Marketing Director in 2013.

Mr Mourton picks up the reins from Rod Bird who has been managing partner for the last 17 years. In his new position he will work closely with the firm’s senior partner Martin Green, who is head of Lodders’ Private Client team.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Mourton said: “I am delighted to have been elected managing partner to lead the firm into and through the next phase of its growth.

“Lodders has a long history and has built up a fantastic pedigree since it was formed 230 years ago. My aim is to build upon the firm’s success and excellent reputation by being ambitious, but not reckless, and to maintain a strategy of measured expansion.”

The firm has recorded year-on-year growth in recent years, but has expanded significantly since 2013 when it opened its Cheltenham office.