When JLL closed its Bath office last September, redeploying staff to its Bristol office, it left Carter Jonas as the only national commercial property agency in Bath. To cope with the extra workload it has taken on three new staff members in as many months — two from its former rival.
The latest recruits to join the property services agency’s West Country office are chartered building surveyors Martin Walker and Tom Lowe, who both worked together at JLL’s Bath office. Earlier this year property expert Mike McElhinney joined Carter Jonas as partner.
Walker has worked in Bath for almost 40 years and has witnessed four recessions and the effect it can have on the commercial market. “Starting a new challenge in what is shaping up to be a more positive commercial environment is very exciting,” he admitted.
During that time he has also worked on several of the city’s biggest projects. “Respecting the history of older buildings while making them usable for modern day requirements is definitely a skill,” he adds, “and marrying the two together successfully is something I relish.”
It is a philosophy shared by Lowe, who is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), and specialises in conservation and dilapidation work. He was recently involved in a project to transform the former Habitat shopfront in Bath’s New Bond Street, which will soon be occupied by clothing retail chain Anthropologie.
Carter Jonas — which has connections going back to 1759 but which takes its name from John Carter Jonas, who established an office in Cambridge in 1855 — is one of the largest firms of property consultants in the UK, with 27 offices and over 400 employees.
Ashton KCJ is strengthening its Ipswich office with the arrival of property partner, James Griffiths, and a new recruit to its commercial team. Griffiths, who first joined the law firm in 1998, is transferring from Ashton’s Bury St Edmunds office.
Simon Burnip is joining the solicitors as associate in the commercial property department from another regional firm in Ipswich. While there he was involved in a wide range of high profile work, including advising a major pub chain, acting for a landlord on the sale of a shopping centre, helping a local authority secure a household name as anchor tenant for a new development site, and acting for developers in relation to the purchase and refinancing of development sites.
Manchester-based Salehs Solicitors has promoted solicitor Jay Lafinhan within its eight-strong property team. After joining the firm in 2005 he will now specialise in short-term development loans and bridging finance for its commercial clients.
Peterborough law firm Buckles Solicitors has hired Abigail Walters in its bid to expand its planning law practice. Formally with the planning team of a London-based international legal company, she has a wide range of experience, including highways law, compulsory purchase and infrastructure development.
Story: Cliff Goodwin
Photo: Neil Bird
