Real Estate promotion at Mills & Reeve

MILLS & REEVE has appointed Christian Bull as partner in its Birmingham real estate team.

Bull, who joined the firm’s Birmingham office in 2002, specialises in providing property advice to the education sector and will help to expand the firm’s real estate offering to major education clients across the country. As an associate, Bull helped to develop the academies practice.

He is one of four partners promoted across the firm, bringing the partnership to 118 across Mills & Reeve’s six UK offices. The appointment will take effect from June 1, 2014.

Steve Allen, partner and head of Mills & Reeve’s Birmingham office, said: “Christian has been with Mills & Reeve since qualifying as a solicitor so his promotion is a fitting reflection of his commitment to the firm. His promotion is further testament to the strength of our Birmingham team and we are pleased to welcome him into the partnership.”

New partner at The Wilkes Partnership

BIRMINGHAM and Solihull law firm The Wilkes Partnership has announced the promotion of its head of real estate, Tim Coplestone, to partner.
 
Coplestone, left, who has been with the firm for over five years, has been elevated after helping to shape the success of the firm’s real estate department. He has particular expertise in mixed-use and commercial development, including town centre redevelopment, secured lending for banks and financial institutions and individuals, as well as on advising those looking to invest.
 
Nigel Wood, senior partner at The Wilkes Partnership, said: “Following our merger one year ago, The Wilkes Partnership has gone from strength to strength. We’ve been really impressed with Tim’s leadership of the Real Estate team. He’s very driven in terms of securing new work and always ensures excellent standards of client service. His spearheading of the firm’s new CSR strategy has also been invaluable and we’re pleased to welcome him to the partnership.”
 
Based in Leamington Spa, Coplestone splits his time between the firm’s Birmingham and Solihull offices. He has previously worked in the real estate teams of both Eversheds and Wragge & Co.

FBC Manby Bowdler strengthens offering with two new partners

WOLVERHAMPTON law firm FBC Manby Bowdler has appointed two new partners to its litigation and family departments.

The promotions for Sara Morton and Gareth Ruddock are two of the latest appointments made by the firm as it continues to strengthen its teams across the Midlands.

Ms Morton is now a partner in the firm’s family department. She obtained her LLB (Hons) in 2004 and was admitted as a solicitor in 2006. She is  experienced in all aspects of family law, including cohabitation matters and dealing with high net worth cases.

Ruddock specialises in commercial litigation with a particular bias towards property disputes and insolvency law. He is also head of the firm’s debt recovery team, working closely with its specialist advisors to provide a debt recovery and insolvency service for commercial clients across the West Midlands and Shropshire.

Also receiving a promotion is Suzanne Tucker, who becomes an Associate in the planning department of the firm.

Senior Partner Niall Blackie said: “We are committed to ensuring our solicitors, and all of our staff, have the opportunity to progress their careers. It is great that we have such exceptional talent within the firm and I’ve no doubt each will continue to contribute to the growth and strength of our practice.”

The solicitors work across the West Midlands and Shropshire, with the two partners based at the firm’s Wolverhampton offices and Suzanne Tucker at the office in central Telford.

Ruddock and Ms Morton (centre) are pictured with managing partner Kim Carr.