Emma Roche has joined the Commercial Real Estate team in Cambridge as a Legal Director from Freeths. Furthermore, Will Thomas has been appointed to the Cambridge Residential Real Estate team as a Senior Associate from Mills & Reeve.
Emma Roche’s practice encompasses a breadth of commercial real estate matters including property investment strategies, the acquisition and disposal of commercial leases, and the management and letting of real estate portfolios. In particular, Emma has a wealth of experience within the retail sector and a comprehensive understanding of the market, having been instructed by some of the UK’s most prestigious retailers.
Will Thomas’ expertise spans complex acquisitions and disposals of residential real estate through to boundary issues, deeds of release and the grant of easements. In addition to a particular specialism in leasehold enfranchisement, Will brings an in-depth knowledge of the property market across London and Cambridge. Will is predominantly instructed by high net worth individuals – both national and international – charities and offshore professional trustees, in addition to, financial and educational institutions.
The appointments of Emma Roche and Will Thomas reflect the rapid expansion of BDB’s presence in the East of England, to meet increasing client demand, following the opening of the Cambridge office in January 2017.
The announcement of these appointments closely follows a successful partnership vote on Thursday, 27 September confirming that BDB and Pitmans will merge to form the combined firm, BDB Pitmans, on 1 December 2018. The complementary practices of each firm will widen and enhance the offering to clients, providing market-leading advice across a number of sectors and areas of law.
BDB’s Head of Cambridge, Simon Burson, stated: “Our Real Estate department has acted on over £50 million investment transactions in the last year, as well as, significant leasehold transactions with rents in excess of £900,000 per annum. As we continue to make headway in the East of England, the recruitment and development of top talent, such as Emma Roche and Will Thomas, will be a strategic focus.”
Andrew Smith, Managing Partner of BDB, comments: “Emma and Will are a welcome addition to our Cambridge Office at this exciting time following the announcement of our merger with Pitmans. Emma and Will’s expertise complements our strong Real Estate offering in Cambridge and echoes our continued focus on investing in and developing exceptional talent – Cambridge remains a key focus for that.”