Department Thrives Following Re-Organisation And New Business Gains

National law firm Irwin Mitchell is expanding its national property practice with the appointment of two new partners. The appointments take the practice to 27 partners and 147 qualified lawyers.

Ben Rogers will join Irwin Mitchell’s Sheffield office as a transactional property partner, joining from DLA Piper where he was a Legal Director, having joined the firm in 2008. He acts for a diverse range of clients including developers, funders, insolvency practitioners, telecoms operators, leisure operators and landlords and tenants on a broad spectrum of matters including disposals and acquisitions of property, management of portfolios, site assembly and corporate support. 

Ben has also acted for a wide range of residential developers from small scale local developers to national house builders on a range of schemes including city centre apartments, mixed use, urban regeneration and out of town/ rural developments.  He has worked for developers on commonhold estates, developments involving the creation of significant public realm and large-scale schemes.

Stelios Coutsavlis is joining Irwin Mitchell’s Manchester office as a transactional property partner, joining from Knights, where he has been a partner since 2018. Stelios has major experience acting for developers on projects involving renewable and mainstream energy, senior living, and for public authorities and developers on urban regeneration projects. His particular expertise in energy and healthcare fit in well with Irwin Mitchell’s sector approach and its Later Living with Care sector.

Stelios will provide a strong boost to Irwin Mitchell’s property team in Manchester, headed by Roy Beckett and comprising Irwin Mitchell’s Head of Planning & Environment, Claire Petricca-Riding, construction partners, Edward Davies and Richard Allan and real estates dispute associate Ben Gildea. His appointment provides further enhancement for the firm's real estate offering in the North and around the country.

Expert Opinion

“Following the re-organisation of the Irwin Mitchell business this year, our commercial and residential real estate teams have combined into one property division and are benefitting from a unified approach. New business enquiries and activity have increased substantially across the practice.

"We are committed to developing our national teams and these appointments in Sheffield and Manchester play an important part in that investment plan, helping us to fulfil our ambition of providing first-class advice to clients in today’s fast moving property environments. Both new joiners come with a wealth of experience and superb track records and I have no doubt will be great assets to our practice.”
Adrian Barlow - Partner

The latest recruits follow the firm’s announcement of a 93% retention rate of newly qualified solicitors and the adoption of a Flexible by Choice policy, allowing all colleagues to work when and where they want, subject to client requirements.

Several other new partners have also been recruited in recent months, including Christine Thornley in tax, trusts and estates; Angela Jackman in public law and human rights and Danielle Parsons and Deborah Casale in employment, together with several new senior associate hires nationwide.

The positive news on recruitment caps an 11th consecutive year of growth for the 2020-21 financial year for Irwin Mitchell, with turnover up to £275.8m.