Already the location for the firm’s top-ranking Family Law team headed by Beverley Morris, the firm has taken additional space to aid the continued expansion of its corporate and commercial, construction, employment and real estate teams that is part of its strategy to extend its legal services in Birmingham and across the West Midlands.

Lodders’ leading Legal 500 and Chambers UK ranked family team has been based in Birmingham since the merger between Lodders and the Divorce & Family Law Practice in 2017.

The family team were joined in Birmingham by construction partner, Heidi Brennan, in 2019 to lead and develop the firm’s construction law offering.

Corporate partner Graham Spalding, together with recent hires Damian Kelly, head of Lodders’ employment team, corporate partner Bradley Quin, real estate partner Lee McBride, and commercial litigation specialist Andrew Wylde, will spend parts of their working weeks based at the new-look Birmingham office, to help develop Lodders’ existing work with clients and contacts in the city and the wider West Midlands.

Amongst the first new hires based at the Birmingham Business hub is construction law specialist Kate Woodhall, who joins the firm’s specialist construction law team based in Birmingham as an associate, working alongside partner, Heidi.

Previously an associate at Shakespeare Martineau, Birmingham, Kate has specialised in non-contentious construction law matters for 16 years, with particular experience in drafting and negotiating consultant appointments, novation agreements, collateral warranties, building contracts, performance bonds, parent company guarantees and reliance letters.

Growth strategy

Lodders’ managing partner, Paul Mourton (pictured) explains that increasing the size of the firm’s Birmingham office is central to the next phase in its focussed growth strategy: “Creating the ‘Birmingham Business hub’ is central to Lodders’ ambitious growth strategy that builds on our reputation for quality and excellence in our legal skills and client service.

“The firm launched its biggest ever recruitment drive last year to fill over forty new roles by the end of 2022, and has already made a number of significant hires across the board. We continue to add best in breed legal experts to the firm that develop our sector-leading teams, amongst these our construction law team, for which Kate Woodhall is an excellent addition and fit.”

City focus

He adds: “Members of our corporate and commercial, employment, construction and real estate teams have been spending increasing amounts of time in Birmingham as instructions for high-value quality work continues to grow from within the city, and with it, work with other Birmingham-based advisors and professionals. The extra space enables us to maximise our profile and visibility in the city.”

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With help from local company Comedy at Work the Comedy Night will bring together an eclectic mix of comedians, headlined by seasoned international comedian Sully Sullivan (pictured), who has performed all over the world, and will divide money raised on the night between the Henley Hub and the Lodders Charitable Foundation (LCF).

The event’s MC is Warwickshire local Elliot Powell, the resident MC at Comedy at Work’s highly successful monthly night at Warwick’s Revive.

Completing the Henley Comedy Night’s line-up is ‘master of dead-pan’ Ben Lund, described by critics as ‘a young Jack Dee’, Birmingham-based comic Sachin Kumarendren who is hailed as being ‘destined for great things within the UK’s comedy circuit’, and ‘rising star’ Sam Day who gave up her job as a partner in a global accounting firm to pursue a career in comedy.

Chairman of the Lodders Charitable Foundation, David Lodder, says: “We are looking forward to a great night of award-winning stand-up comedy featuring five unique acts. Our thanks go to the Comedy at Work team for their help in putting together such a great event, and choosing to support LCF and Henley Hub.”

Night of seriously good comedy

Co-founder of Warwickshire-based Comedy at Work Mark Hinds says: “We are looking forward to an awesome night of seriously good comedy. The line-up is absolutely brilliant, and the mix of established comics guarantee that there will be something for everyone.”

Comedy at Work’s Anne Docherty, adds: “We hope the event raises plenty of money for Henley Hub and the Lodders Charitable Foundation, which are both local charities bringing incredible vital support to the local community.”

Tickets

Tickets for the Comedy Night can be booked and purchased online. The event is from 7.30pm until 10.30pm and has a fully licensed bar.

The charities

Lodders created the Lodders Charitable Foundation (LCF) in 2016 with the aim of raising vital financial support and providing help to local charities where it can make a genuine difference. To date, it has raised and donated more than £70,000 to independent charities. For more information: www.lodders.co.uk/about-us/lodders-charitable-foundation/

The Henley in Arden Hub is entirely self-funding. It strives to benefit the local community to advance education and provide facilities for recreation and leisure time to improve the conditions of life for the residents and safeguarding the community. The Hub is open from 9.00am to 9.00pm five days a week with additional weekend activities. Its team also provides a 24-hour helpline and free IT support network.

Comedy at Work

As well as bringing stand-up to venues across the country in support of local charities, Comedy at Work hosts a series of workshops for all ages, all with comedy and wellbeing at their heart – from school-leavers and graduates through to team building, corporate training and even wedding speech coaching. Visit: https://www.comedyatwork.com/ for further information.

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What are the differences between legacies, bequests and devises?

During the probate process, executors (those named in the will to be responsible for managing the deceased’s estate) and beneficiaries (those who will inherit from the deceased’s estate) are often confused by certain new terminology, including the likes of ‘legacies’, ‘devises’ and ‘bequests’. But there are specific meanings for these terms:

• a bequest is a gift of personal property made by a will other than land, such as an item of jewellery or a car
• a devise is a gift by will of real property, such as a house
• a legacy also refers to gifts of personal property but is more widely used to cover all types of gifts, including property, personal items and cash

There are different types of legacies, and the type can affect the order of priority for payment, the rights a beneficiary has, and whether there are any costs to bear. It can also make a difference to whether a gift actually takes effect as the testator(s) (the person(s) making the will) intended.

Issues can arise where a will includes legacies, but the testator’s estate has diminished over time, meaning there may not be enough assets left in the estate to pay all the legacies.

What types of legacy are there?

There are various types of legacy:

• A will can list personal possessions, property, specific bank accounts or investments, and state who will receive these. These are specific legacies.
• A will may also list set amounts of money that the testator wants to leave to different individuals or charities. These are pecuniary legacies.
• The will should also say who is to receive the residuary estate. This consists of any assets left after the payment of the legacies and estate liabilities.

When acting for clients on the distribution of an estate in-line with a will, we pay most liabilities, such as funeral costs, debts owed at the date of death, and administration expenses, from the residuary estate. If there is not enough money left in the residuary estate to pay these debts, then we take them from the fund for the pecuniary legacies. These pecuniary legacies then reduce proportionately. This means that beneficiaries might still receive some cash from the estate but less than the testator intended.

Ultimately, if all the residuary estate and the fund for the pecuniary legacies is used up and there are still debts to pay, executors will need to use the assets that have been specifically gifted to individuals to settle the estate liabilities. This might mean selling a property, with the beneficiary receiving only what is left of the sale proceeds.

What issues can occur when distributing legacies?

A will can change the order of payment of debts, so executors should take care to make sure they understand the order of priority.

Tax

For example, a gift of a property might be subject to an outstanding mortgage. This means the beneficiary needs to be able to repay or take over that mortgage. Gifts may also be subject to inheritance tax, with the beneficiary having to pay any tax attributable to that asset.

Assets in the will but not in the estate

Further complications can arise with specific legacies when the asset referred to in the will is not part of the testator’s estate when they die. In these circumstances, the wording of the will is crucial:

• For example, a will may state that a beneficiary is to receive “my house known as 1 New Road”. If the testator does not own 1 New Road when they die, and there is no alternative referred to in the will, then the gift will fail, or adeem.

Ordinarily, the will speaks from death. This means that a beneficiary will receive the asset that fits the description in the will when the testator dies:

• For example, “all my shares in Big Business plc”, might have been 1,000 shares at the date of the will, but if it was 100 shares at the date of death, then this is what the beneficiary will receive. This is because the wording is general in nature.

However, if the asset is clearly identifiable as something owned by the deceased at the date of the will, this is what the beneficiary receives. If it is no longer part of the estate then again, the gift fails, and the beneficiary receives nothing:

• For example, the will might say “I leave my car” to a named beneficiary. This would refer to the specific car owned by the testator at the date that the will was made. If the testator owned a Ford Fiesta at the date of the will, but a Rolls Royce at the date of death, then the beneficiary would receive no car. The testator no longer owned the specific car referred to in his will. Compare this with: “I leave any car that I own at the date of my death” to a beneficiary. In this example, the beneficiary would receive the Rolls Royce. The difference between this situation and the more general wording referred to above is very subtle and executors should take care and seek professional advice if there is any doubt about a legacy.

Clearly the wording of a gift can make a significant difference:

• For example, a testator may decide to make a gift of “my Rolex watch” to a beneficiary. If he does not own a Rolex watch on death then the gift adeems. However, if the will were to say “I give a Rolex watch” to a beneficiary, then even if the deceased did not own such a watch, the executors would need to buy one from the estate funds to fulfil the legacy.

Complications could also arise where the nature of the assets has changed:

• For example, where companies have amalgamated, and shareholdings have changed as a result.

Care should also be taken where a sum of money is to be paid from a particular fund. The executors may need to pay the money from other assets if that fund no longer exists or is insufficient to fulfil the amount gifted.

Summary

Dealing with estates where there are complications with the payment of debts, or the possibility that legacies might be reduced, executors should seek professional advice to make sure they are distributing the estate correctly.

Sharon Crosby is an associate in the Private Client team at Lodders, and a specialist in estate administration, wills, probate, lasting powers of attorney and Court of Protection work.

This article originally published on The Gazette read it here.

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As the owner of a listed building, you will become a custodian of our nation’s ‘built heritage’ and have the privilege of living in a remarkable building. However, that privilege brings with it the responsibility to look after and protect the building for future generations. If you don’t, you could face a criminal prosecution and unlimited fines.

What is a listed building?

If a building is ‘listed’ it means that it is of such architectural or historical importance that it has been included on The National Heritage List – a statutory register of historic buildings that is held by Historic England. If you visit Historic England’s website, you can search the list and look at the ‘listing description’ for the property, which will tell you the address, the date the property was listed and gives a brief description.

The basic rule is that the older the building, the more likely it is to be listed. Most properties built prior to 1840 are listed, but more modern buildings can be listed if they have an important notable feature.

There are three grades of listed building:

• Grade I are buildings of exceptional interest. Only 2.5% of listed buildings are Grade I and include buildings such as Warwick Castle, the Market Hall at Chipping Campden, and the Pitville Pump Room.
• Grade II* (Grade 2 star) are particularly important buildings that makeup about 5.5% of all listed buildings such as the Lygon Arms Hotel in Broadway, Barclays Bank in Henley-in-Arden, and the Shakespeare Memorial Fountain in Stratford upon Avon.
• Grade II comprise the remaining 92% of listed buildings.

The risks of altering a listed building without consent

One of the most important things to know if you are thinking about buying a listed building, is that it is a criminal offence to carry out works to a listed building that require listed building consent if you don’t obtain that consent.

The offence is committed by the person who carries out the works (such as a builder) or by the person who causes the works to be carried out (the owner). This means that both you and your builder could face up to two years in prison and an unlimited fine.

One owner whom I prosecuted received a £60,000 fine and a bill for £240,000 in costs (in addition to his own legal costs) for carrying out significant works to a Grade II* Jacobean manor house.

Do all works require listed building consent?

No, but listed building consent is required for works of demolition, alteration or extension that affect the: “character of the building as a building of special architectural or historic interest”.

It can be extremely difficult to work out whether the plans for your home will affect the “character of the building as one of special architectural or historic interest” and will therefore need listed building consent. You should work closely with your Local Authority’s Building Conservation Officer who will be able to provide guidance. If there is any doubt, you should make a formal application to the Local Planning Authority for listed building consent. If listed building consent is not required you will receive a decision confirming this.

Things to look out for when buying a listed building

When buying a listed building, it is essential that your solicitor finds out whether any unlawful works were carried out by a previous owner. If the previous owner did carry out unlawful works and the Local Planning Authority serves an Enforcement Notice after you have bought the property, then you will be required to restore the building at your cost. What’s more, failing to comply with an Enforcement Notice is a criminal offence that carries an unlimited fine.

When you are viewing the listed building that you are thinking of buying, keep a lookout for changes to the building such as skylight windows in the roof, open plan areas, modern windows and extensions, and if you notice anything that looks new, be sure to tell your solicitor and surveyor. You should choose a surveyor who specialises in listed buildings to carry out a survey and they will also be able to advise you about any works that need to be investigated.

Choosing the right solicitor

Because of the risk that you might have to remedy unlawful works carried out by the previous owner, it is important that the solicitor you choose to handle your conveyancing understands the listed building legislation and the planning process. Before you instruct a firm of solicitors, make sure that you speak to the person who will actually be doing your conveyancing and ask them about their experience with listed buildings.

A final word of caution

If you are lucky enough to end up owning a listed building and you want to make changes, please don’t carry out works on the basis that “the Building Conservation Officer said it was ok”, or an email from the Building Conservation Officer telling you that “yes your plans are fine” – because neither will provide a defence if you end up in court in front of a Judge. The golden rule is – if in doubt, always apply for listed building consent.

During her career as a property solicitor, Rhiannon Edwards spent six years as the Chief Legal Officer at the Brecon Beacons National Park Local Planning Authority where she prosecuted listed building and other planning offences. She now specialises in buying and selling listed buildings.

Lodders is a premier law firm in Stratford upon Avon, Cheltenham, Birmingham, and Henley in Arden. For more information: www.lodders.co.uk.

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Notable deals for the team include the completion of the sale of diaphragm pump business Flotronic Pumps Limited by its owners Whitehouse Industries Limited in August, followed by the sale of furniture and props hire business Granger Hertzog Limited for the sellers to a newco owned by management and the sellers, in September.

In October, Lodders’ team advised LDC-backed Solid Solutions on the acquisition of Desktop Engineering Limited (DTE), with several other high-value completions following in November including the sales of Cotek Papers Limited to German manufacturer Laufenberg, and Avanta UK to the existing management team via a Vendor Initiated Management Buy-out (VIMBO).

Corporate partner Graham Spalding says the “very active period” began in August 2020, with further deal highlights earlier this year when Lodders’ team advised the founders on the sale of Chrysalis Automotive to automotive software business Autofutura, the buyout team on the purchase of Nottingham-based Print Solutions, the sellers on the disposal of agricultural machinery business Murley Agriculture, and LDC-backed Solid Solutions on the purchase of Design Rule.

High-quality work

“It’s been a very busy and rewarding period for the corporate and commercial team, which has sustained this year’s trend of winning high-value, high-quality work,” says Graham Spalding.

“We have completed a record-breaking number of deals for companies and owner managers in the US, South Africa, London, Leeds, the Cotswolds and across the Midlands, in sectors including automotive, manufacturing, industrial engineering, and film and broadcast.

2022 busy for corporate activity

“2022 is looking to be another very busy year for corporate activity for the team,” he adds, “and we are already instructed on several transactions set for completion early in the new year.”

Lodders corporate and commercial team, which appointed well-known corporate lawyer Bradley Quin as a partner last month (November), provides expert legal advice to owner managers and business owners looking to divest, grow and raise finance.

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In the wake of continuing criticism that the family courts are operating ‘in secret’ and there being a push for greater transparency, there is also a call for greater recognition of the rights of children.

Article 12 of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child set out, amongst other things, the following:-

‘States shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child’.

Plainly put. Easy to understand, and yet not translating into the practice of the family court.

Far too often, decisions are made about the future of a child/children in a setting in which their parents are separating, and where the voice of the child is simply not heard.

There is still too little that is understood and/or promoted in ‘child-inclusive mediation’.

Far too often the family court will determine a case without any reference to the wishes and feelings of the child.

A subgroup of the Private Law Working Group has published a report which squarely puts the question ‘what about me?’.

The report recognises that the Children Act 1989 was to be a charter for children yet, three decades on, their voices, rights, and interests are still marginalised in decision-making when parents separate.

The court system continues to be focused upon the needs, wishes, and feelings of the parent.

The report makes several recommendations including:

• Establishing a framework of direct support services for information, consultation, support, and representation of children and young people whose parents separate.
• A presumption that all children and young people aged 10 and above be offered the opportunity to have their voices heard in all processes for resolving issues between parents including mediation and solicitor-led processes.
• A dedicated section for children on the ‘Separated Families Hub’ giving them information.

It remains to be seen whether these recommendations are followed through, and it is with some concern that, as a family law practitioner, I look back over the last 30 plus years since the enactment of the Children Act 1989 and still progress must be made to recognise a child’s fundamental right.

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Based in Moreton-in-Marsh in the Cotswolds, Cotek has established a reputation for high quality and innovative solutions in the production of accurate and stable silicone release coatings on all types of paper and film, using the latest generation of solvent free coating machinery.

Its customers include manufacturers of double sided adhesive tapes, hot melt adhesive packaging, butyl mastic sealant and pre-preg composite fibre, together with companies in the medical, graphic art, automotive, personal hygiene and bag closures industries.

Family business

The family-run and owned business supplies adhesive tape and packaging manufacturers and companies in the medical, graphic art, automotive, personal hygiene and bag closures industries.

Brothers Adam and Scott Hazell sold the business with advice from Lodders’ corporate and commercial team.

Leading the team was corporate partner, Graham Spalding, who says: “It has been great to act for Adam and Scott on their sale of Cotek Papers Limited, which has been in the family for a number of years.

“The sale of the company to Laufenberg ensures the future of the business for the benefit of its customers and employees, and we wish Jorg Soding and all the team at Cotek every success for the future development of Cotek.”

Deals

The deal follows hot on the heels of Lodders corporate and commercial team’s work for Whitehouse Industries Limited on its sale of specialist diaphragm pump business, Flotronic Pumps Limited, to US corporation Unibloc, and the owners of furniture and props hire business Granger Hertzog Limited on its sale to a new company owned by management and the sellers.

Lodders is the premier law firm in Warwickshire, the West Midlands, the Three Counties and the Cotswolds, and offers expert legal advice to owner managers and business owners looking to divest, grow and raise finance.

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Sakande, 27, claims the coveted personal development prize after blowing away the Awards’ judging panel with the scope of his recent activities away from the cricket pitch.

He was awarded the most successful individual in the Current Player category, and the outstanding candidate from the process, which gained a record number of 25 applicants.

The Leicestershire seamer receives a monetary prize of £3,000 to go towards his personal development.

The Futures Awards, which are part of the PCA’s Personal Development and Welfare Programme (PDWP), ask candidates to apply via an online form on the PCA website, before shortlisted candidates are invited to deliver a presentation followed by a question and answer session based around their personal development.

For the first time ever, the event was supported by PCA partner Lodders, with the Awards highlighting some of the best examples of personal development amongst the PCA membership, and Lodders helping the winners build towards the future with assistance from their prize.

Lodders Managing Partner, Paul Mourton and Corporate Partner, Graham Spalding sat on the judging panel alongside the PCA’s Lead Personal Development Managers Charlie Mulraine and Lynsey Williams.

The judging event took place at Lodders’ Cheltenham offices, where all six shortlisted candidates received a 30-minute professional consultation from a member of Lodders team.

Glamorgan’s Joe Cooke claimed the Newcomer prize, and Vishal Tripathi the Past Player award, with the category winners receiving £2,000 to further their off-field aspirations.

England’s Tammy Beaumont, Thunder’s Phoebe Graham, and former Worcestershire batter Ollie Westbury all shared a comprehensive IT package from PCA partner Lucidica.

Lodders’ Managing Partner, Paul Mourton, said: “As a firm, we’re very keen to give back and we want to be a part of the good stuff that the PCA is doing with the Futures Awards.

“All of the presentations were very impressive, and it was inspirational to see so many themes coming through and for everyone to be so well-prepared. Normally you would pigeonhole professional cricketers as being on the field, but people forget they are human beings who have interests outside of the game, which has shone through very brightly during the 2021 Futures Awards.”

PCA Futures Awards Overall winner 2021, Abi Sakande, said: “I’m very grateful to the PCA and Lodders for having set this up and invested in me, so thank you very much. I’m glad that they’ve recognised the value of what I’ve been doing and what I plan to do with the prize.

“I feel like the hard work has really paid off. I’ve grown and changed a huge amount as a person through all of these off-the-field activities. Some of that was forced by lockdown but I also wanted to push myself, and in the long run I’m in a much better position sitting here today to go in a confident direction once cricket ends. For that reason, it’s definitely paid off.

“I would 100% recommend anyone to apply for the Futures Awards. It took me a while to convince myself, but it’s a really simple process and a valuable experience regardless of who wins. There’s nothing to lose and you could win, which would be a huge bonus!”

The winners:

Overall – Abi Sakande (Leicestershire)

Overall winner Sakande follows in the footsteps of Glamorgan’s Andrew Salter in having blown away the judging panel with his dedication to developing outside of cricket. Released by Sussex in October 2019, the 27-year-old used his time away from the game to work on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) projects with both the PCA and the Sussex Cricket Board, and he also began an MSc in Environmental Anthropology at the University of Kent before being signed by Leicestershire during the 2021 season. Sakande plans to use his prize money to fund fieldwork for his Masters degree which involves him traveling to west Africa.

Newcomer – Joe Cooke (Glamorgan)

Glamorgan man Cooke is a deserved winner of the Newcomer award, which is reserved for players who have been in the professional game for two years or less. Cooke has led the player voice on climate change, recently illustrated by his attendance at the historic COP26 conference in Glasgow where he spoke on multiple athlete panels. Cooke has worked on a number of initiatives both through his role as sustainability champion at Glamorgan and in association with campaign group Friends of the Earth Cymru. The 24-year-old is hoping to use his Futures Award prize to begin setting up his own environmental consultancy business.

PCA Futures Awards Newcomer winner 2021, Joe Cooke, said: “It feels absolutely amazing to win. I never thought I would – I just applied to see what would happen, so it’s just incredible. It’s another reward for all the hard work I’ve put in, so thank you so much to both the PCA and Lodders for believing in me.”

Past Player – Vishal Tripathi

Tripathi has been on a rollercoaster journey to becoming a fully qualified doctor since retiring from the game in 2012, and he has now been recognised for his unwavering commitment in winning the Past Player category. The 33-year-old hopes to use his prize to further hone his skills as a doctor by undertaking postgraduate exams and training courses, and he also wants to inspire more professional cricketers to consider medicine after leaving the game.

PCA Futures Awards Past Player winner 2021, Vishal Tripathi, said: “Genuinely it was not my intention to win this award, my intention was to talk about my experiences, development and the PCA’s role in that. To be winning the Past Player category is the cherry on top of the cake, I am humbled that the PCA are rewarding me for something I started 11 years ago.

“I will be using the money to fund the next step in my career and for me that is surgery. I want to specialise in trauma and orthopaedics and that means extra courses, exams and those things come at a price.

“Lodders are now having a massive influence on my future so for them to help me progress my career is an amazing feeling.

Lynsey Williams, PCA Lead Personal Development Manager, added: “The standard of the candidates at the 2021 PCA Futures Awards has been amazing – we’ve been blown away. Every interview has been inspiring, humbling and it’s amazing what our members have achieved across so many areas during the last 18 months, and I want to congratulate all of them.

“Bringing Lodders on board has brought another level to the Futures Awards, not only via the monetary incentive but also through the skills that they can offer our members. It’s now a much richer experience that our members are getting.”

Find out more about the PCA Futures Awards supported by Lodders Solicitors, as well as the PCA’s wider Personal Development and Welfare Programme (PDWP).

Lodders is a premier law firm in Stratford upon Avon, Cheltenham, Henley in Arden, and Birmingham: www.lodders.co.uk. 

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“Other than employers of care home staff, employers have no legislative right to require staff to be vaccinated.

“In other sectors, employers who try to mandate staff vaccinations are running a high risk of Employment Tribunal claims, including claims for unlawful discrimination”, explains Damian.

“Increasingly, employers are seeing value in introducing Vaccination Policies which, whilst falling short of requiring mandatory vaccinations, encourage their staff to get vaccinated and set out various means by which they will be supported in doing so.

Care home staff

“For care homes and their staff, The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021 were approved on 22nd July 2021, and made it mandatory for a person working or providing professional services in a care home to have the Covid-19 vaccine from the 11th of November 2021.

“Vaccines for care home workers are therefore now compulsory unless the person has provided clinical reasons why he or she cannot be vaccinated. Religious and philosophical beliefs do not suffice, and the new regulations apply to England only.”

Vaccination Policy

He adds: “Employers should give careful consideration to the drafting of a Vaccination Policy and the way in which it is communicated and implemented across their workforces. Important issues for consideration are likely to include timing, confidentiality, time off measures and fair procedures for dismissals should they be necessary.”

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An expert in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), complex re-organisations, private equity transactions, buy-outs, joint ventures, equity investments, and a range of financial and commercial matters, Bradley was previously a Director at KPMG, leading the deals practice of the KPMG Law team in the Midlands.

With 20 years’ experience in legal practice, both in-house and over ten years at Gowling WLG (formerly Wragge & Co) and Squire Patton Boggs, Bradley has advised numerous corporate, institutional and privately-owned business clients.

Recognised by the latest edition of the Legal 500 for his specialisms in M&A, buyouts, equity investments and reorganisations, together with his knowledge of the tech, energy, retail, financial services, media and FMCG sectors, Bradley has worked extensively with privately owned businesses, including leading the team advising the owners of Romax Technology, a leading provider of Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) software, on their multi-million-pound sale to global business Hexagon AB.

Sustained growth

Bradley’s move to Lodders follows sustained growth in instructions for the firm’s corporate team, as partner Graham Spalding explains: “The last six months has been an exceptionally busy and rewarding time for the corporate team. We have completed a record-breaking number of high-level, high-value deals for companies and owner managers across the UK in sectors including automotive, manufacturing, industrial engineering and film and broadcast. 2022 is set to be another very busy year for corporate activity for the team, and we are mandated on many more transactions.

“Bradley’s expertise, in particular his M&A specialism and experience advising a range of corporate and institutional clients, high net worth individuals and family businesses, make him a strong, skillful addition to our growing team and we are looking forward to having him on board, helping in the continued growth of the team.”

Progressive

Bradley adds: “Lodders is an ambitious, established firm with a long and impressive history of providing exceptional legal advice to an impressive portfolio of clients. The firm is in a very good place, with clear plans for sustained growth and expansion.

“I am looking forward to working at an independent, thriving, progressive firm, and alongside Graham and the rest of the corporate and commercial team, to play a part in taking it forward and to new heights, especially leading deals and M&A instructions. I have learned a lot whilst working at a Big Four multi-disciplinary firm, in particular, the benefits of getting an in-depth understanding of a client’s challenges and strengths, not just their legal needs, and intend to put this to effective use for our clients.”

Lodders’ corporate and commercial team offers expert legal advice to owner managers and business owners looking to divest, grow and raise finance.

Image shows (left to right): Lodders’ Graham Spalding with Bradley Quin who joins the firm as partner in the corporate and commercial team. 

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