Law firm Lodders has announced the appointment of new partner heads for both its company commercial and real estate teams, a new equity partner and two associate promotions.
Central to the firm’s ongoing succession planning and expansion strategy, partner Kim Klahn is appointed to lead the Company and Commercial team in Stratford upon Avon, whilst commercial and residential property and land development specialist and partner, Mark Miller, is appointed head of Lodders’ Real Estate team.
James Mottram, a residential development specialist, is promoted to Equity Partner after three years with Lodders’ Real Estate practice.
The firm’s Real Estate team has also promoted Cheryl Payne and Laura Taylor to Associate.
Kim Klahn is a company and commercial law specialist, and trained and qualified at Lodders. She became a partner in the Business Group in 2015, and specialises in advising on a range of company and commercial matters. Her ambition and drive will be central to Lodders’ strategy to further grow its company commercial offering. She has played a key role in many areas of the firm including leading several of its HR and marketing initiatives.
She takes over as team head in Lodders’ Stratford office from Victor Matts, who has been with Lodders since 1990 and led the firm’s Business Group for more than 20 years. He will continue as a partner at the firm.
Mark Miller joined Lodders as an equity partner in 2016. Known for his niche specialism in strategic land work in particular, he acts for landowners, developers, investors and end users including large national and multinational organisations.
Mark will head the Real Estate practice with support from Paul Mourton – Lodders’ managing partner – Nick East and James Mottram.
The team, which has consistently received the highest Tier 1 ranking in The Legal 500 and Chambers Directories, has thirty specialist real estate, commercial property, planning, construction and highways legal experts, including nine partners, operating from Lodders Stratford upon Avon, Cheltenham and Birmingham offices.
New equity partner James Mottram joined Lodders in 2015 from Gateley in Birmingham and became a partner six months later. He specialises in residential development work and has acted for many of the top 10 UK house builders and now works with many of the country’s largest and most active housebuilders.
Cheryl Payne and Laura Taylor of Lodders’ Real Estate plot sales’ team are promoted to Associate. With the firm since 1994, Cheryl qualified as a chartered legal executive in 2009 and plays a vital role supporting the firm’s housebuilding clients
With Lodders for over 15 years, Laura Taylor provides specialist support to Lodders’ acquisition work for its portfolio of housebuilder clients.
Commenting on the firm’s latest appointments and promotions, Senior Partner Martin Green, says: “These promotions are a clear sign of Lodders’ commitment to its future and our robust succession plan that embraces the next generation of young talent at the firm. Each of these promotions demonstrates the firm’s vision and ambitions to maintain our position as a premiere law firm of choice in the region.”
Kim Klahn says: “This is an exciting opportunity and I am thrilled to take over from Victor as head of the Company & Commercial team in Stratford. I have many plans to further grow and develop the Business Group team, in terms of clients, people and the range of market sectors we work with, to build on the great work of the team under Victor’s lead. Our growth will capitalise on the strengths of each legal specialist within the team to realise our aim to be one of the leading regional firms in the Midlands.”
On his new role, Mark Miller adds: “As one of the largest specialist Real Estate practices in the region, the team offers a comprehensive commercial property service with an emphasis on property development and investment, with excellent support from our planning, highways and construction expertise. This, together with our exceptional experience and resource, means the team delivers big city legal expertise from a regional location. The team will continue to build on this unique proposition, delivering sector leading legal advice with a focus on excellent client and cost-efficient service. It is a privilege to lead Lodders’ Real Estate practice and I am delighted to have the opportunity and looking forward very much to the challenge.”
Martin says: “Kim, Mark and James are all exceptional lawyers and their promotions are a reflection of the contribution they have each made already to their individual practice areas as well as to the wider firm.”
