Lodders rated top tier for legal advice

The Warwickshire and Gloucestershire firm is rated in the top tier for agricultural and private client work, and this year the real estate team is rated in the second tier of legal firms outside of Birmingham.

Legal 500, the trade “bible” for lawyers, comments that Lodders “has a sizeable and highly knowledgeable team. It recently assisted in the resolution of a potential family dispute over the winding-up of an estate and the partition of a farm between farming and non-farming beneficiaries.

The guide describes senior partner David Lodder as ‘exceptional’ and partner Alex Robinson as “very efficient”

In the area of personal tax, trusts and probate, Lodders has a “very strong offering”. It focuses on high net worth individuals with multiple business interests, and acts for a number of Sunday Times Rich List clients.

Partners Martin Green and Stephen Brignull are described as ‘technically very strong and pragmatic”, and the guide notes that partner Helen Rowett joined the team, based in the Henley-in-Arden office, this year from Irwin Mitchell in Birmingham.

Commenting on the firm’s growing real estate work, Legal 500 notes that Lodders’ “driven” team is “very responsive” and is appreciated for its “partner-led approach”. Team head Nick East is “very experienced”, and Mark Lee “thrives on getting the deal done”. The firm recently acted for IM Properties in its purchase of a retail warehouse for over £8 million.Lodders managing parter Rod Bird said: “Once again this is most welcome recognition of the firm’s strengths and we are particularly pleased that our growing real estate team is getting the attention it deserves.“As a firm, we are well positioned to advise the Midlands and Cotswolds’ high net worth individuals on a business, private, property and agricultural basis and focus on these key areas is central to our growth plans.

”Lodders opened a new office in Cheltenham on Monday, September 30. Partners Paul Mourton, Robin Beckley and Penny Gladman are to continue the push into Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds which was started with the opening of an office in Cirencester in 2009 – which has now merged into the new office at 25 Imperial Square, Cheltenham.