Wragge & Co has been named Consultant of the Year at this year's Midlands Property Awards. It becomes the first law firm to win the title, beating competition from planning consultants, architects and surveyors. Hosted by Property Week, the awards celebrate a year of high-profile developments and projects in the Midlands real estate market.

Adrian Bland, head of Wragge & Co's 30-partner Real Estate group, said: "This is a great accolade and one much deserved by a fantastic and hard-working team. The Midlands has a long tradition of top-quality real estate work and our experts are always at the heart of the action. With 200 lawyers working across 15 specialist areas, we offer a full service dedicated to the real estate sector."

According to awards organisers, Wragge & Co "has built a strong reputation in the Midlands". This reputation is based on leading roles in the region's major commercial property and regeneration deals. Examples cited by the judges include advising on the acquisition and development of a new 400,000 sq ft campus for Birmingham City University.

The event, which is in its second year, saw Wragge & Co client Ballymore win Commercial Development of the Year and Mixed-use Development of the Year for its Birmingham Snowhill project. These victories have a further Wragge & Co connection as the firm will move into Two Snowhill on its completion in 2011.

Wragge & Co's 200-lawyer Real Estate group is one of the largest full-service real estate teams in the UK. It advises developers, investors and local authorities on matters ranging from asset management to environment; planning to tax; and litigation to regeneration. Its experts have dealt with 155 million sq ft of space in deals worth £14.5 billion in the last 12 months alone.

Other highlights this year include the arrival of former Hammonds LLP partner Mike Trainer and the promotion of three new partners and one new director. Planning expert Karen Howard and commercial development and investment specialists Toby Askin and Jonathan Wilkes are the new partners. Residential development lawyer Ed Colreavy is the group's newest director.

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