Property people: Bevan Brittan and Keyland Developments

National law firm, Bevan Brittan, has revealed its sixth new partner hire of 2024, following the addition of a property specialist to its expanding Leeds team.

Julie Morrison brings over 20 years of real estate experience to the business and will be working on property matters for a number of NHS bodies and the Welsh Education Partnership (WEPCo).

She will also work alongside Bevan Brittan’s new head of property, Rob Harrison, to help manage the firm’s growing list of clients seeking advice and support.

Joining from Eversheds, Morrison has experience of advising well-known investor, retailer and corporate clients on the full range of real estate transactions, including acquisitions, disposals, complex landlord and tenant transactions and development work.

Her arrival is the latest boost for the firm’s growing Leeds office, which passed the 100-colleague mark for the first time earlier this year and also celebrated the promotion of nine colleagues this month.

Lyndon Campbell, property partner and head of Bevan Brittan’s Leeds Office, said: “Julie is the latest in a significant line of notable senior appointments for our firm already in 2024 and yet another high-quality addition to our Leeds office as it goes from strength to strength.

“Along with the recent promotion of nine of our colleagues here in Yorkshire, her arrival demonstrates the importance of our Leeds team in helping to fuel the continued growth of our business both regionally and nationally.

“We are seeing increased demand for our property advice from clients across both the public and private sectors. Adding someone of Julie’s considerable experience will only serve to further improve the depth and breadth of legal expertise we can offer.”

Nine colleagues from the Leeds office were recognised this month as part of a record round of promotions for Bevan Brittan which saw 38 people promoted across the business.

Four members of the Yorkshire-based team were promoted to senior associate, with a further quintet becoming associates.

In total, five new partners were created across the firm’s four UK offices, along with a new legal director, 13 new senior associates and 19 associates.

This followed a 12-month period in which Bevan Brittan recruited 32 new senior hires to meet growing demand for its services, three of them in Leeds.

:::

Keyland Developments Ltd, the property trading arm of Kelda Group and sister-company to Yorkshire Water, has continued its growth plans with the appointment of Joe Boothman as land & development manager.

Boothman arrives from Yorkshire Water where he was a lead surveyor in the Land and Property Team, having initially joined Keyland on secondment to cover maternity leave in January 2024.

He will work with Yorkshire Water to identify and promote development opportunities within its portfolio, looking at traditional developments as well as newer Renewables opportunities.

This will be done alongside a focus on further growing Keyland’s Planning Promotional Agreements (PPA) initiative, which is designed to enable both private and public sector landowners to maximise the development potential from their land risk free.

Boothman has gained a strong understanding of the Kelda Estate after spending over six years working for Yorkshire Water’s Land and Property team.

During this time he gained specialist knowledge on utilities and specifically Telecoms, which he will bring to this role.

Luke Axe, land & planning director at Keyland Developments Ltd, said: “Joe has become a valued member of the Keyland team during his recent secondment. His appointment aligns with our growth strategy and his sector specific expertise is a great addition to our collective skillset.”

Boothman added: “This role will enable me to bring value to Kelda’s wider estate and grow the promotion side of the Keyland business.”