Law firm boosts national housebuilding and strategic land team with partner hire

Law firm Freeths has bolstered its real estate offering with the appointment of partner Emily Danson.

Danson joins from Roythornes and will head up Freeths’ housebuilding sector offering in the West Midlands.

She has more than a decade of experience focusing on instant land transactions for national and regional housebuilders, as well work in the wider ‘living’ sector such as care home development and social housing.

Danson joins after recently completing a number of high value and complex projects. These include joint venture projects between housebuilders, registered providers of social housing and Homes England; several large-scale multi-phase developments; as well as a number of property projects carried out in connection with company restructures and sales, including a third-party funding project in excess of £120m.

Joining her is Sarah Ward, who deals with the plot sales for various clients including Tilia Homes, Piper Homes and Macc Group.

Patrick Adie, national head of housebuilding and strategic land at Freeths, said: “We are delighted to welcome Emily and Sarah to our Housebuilding & Strategic Land Team. These key hires will help further grow the team across the country, on the back of other recent partner hires in other offices such as Sheffield and Milton Keynes.

“Emily’s reputation in the West Midlands and beyond, her enthusiasm for the housebuilding sector, and her outstanding client list has a perfect synergy with our team. The fact that she has been able bring Sarah and her ongoing plot sales work with her is a testament to our reputation to deliver excellent client service at all stages of the conveyancing process. Having them on board will further deliver our vision – to be the best law firm in the UK for housebuilding and strategic land.”

Mitchell Ball, head of real estate in the Birmingham office, added: “I have known Emily for a number of years, and I know she will be a fantastic asset to Freeths and our clients. Her practice very much complements our existing offering in Birmingham. Her arrival follows the appointment earlier in the year of partner Mohammed Alam from Hogan Lovells, who specialises in investment and development work. Sarah Ward also has tremendous respect among her clients and, again, we are very pleased to have her in the team.”