Wragge & Co LLP has appointed three new real estate partners, strengthening the firm's planning and commercial development & investment capabilities. Toby Askin, Karen Howard and Jonathon Wilkes have been promoted to the firm's partnership, taking the total number of partners in the full-service Real Estate group to 30.

Adrian Bland, head of real estate, said: "With real estate specialists in both London and Birmingham, our 200-lawyer real estate practice has built a national reputation for top-quality legal advice across the full real estate spectrum. In Jonathon, Toby and Karen we have three new partners whose drive, dedication and ability to deliver top-quality client service is highly regarded by both clients and colleagues."

Planning specialist Karen is part of the 20-lawyer Planning and Regeneration team. Previously a partner in Olswang's property practice, she joined the firm in 2006, helping increase its reach into the London and South-East markets. Areas of expertise include high-value, complex regeneration work, master planning, housing developments, compulsory purchase orders and mixed-use development schemes. Her appointment adds a fifth planning and regeneration partner to the group, enhancing its ability to provide a seamless service on large regeneration and other development projects.

Toby and Jonathon both specialise in advising developers and investors on a full range of property-related matters. Toby has a particular focus on shopping centres, acting for Multi Development on projects in Bath and Wolverhampton. Jonathon has established strong relationships with investor clients including LaSalle Investment Management and CB Richard Ellis Investors. Their promotions add significant senior capability to the 11-partner Commercial Development & Investment team, one of UK's largest dedicated development and investment practices.

Wragge & Co's Real Estate group is the firm's largest practice. Working across 15 specialist areas, it offers a full service across the entire commercial real estate sector. In the past 12 months, its experts have dealt with 155 million sq ft of space in deals worth £14.5 billion. Clients include Argent, Ballymore, CBRE Investors, Castlemore, Colliers Capital, Development Securities, Hines, JP Morgan, Marks & Spencer, Miller and St Modwen.

In addition to real estate, Wragge & Co has invested in key areas of corporate, human resources, IP, finance litigation and construction with the promotion of nine new partners in total. The new partner appointments take effect from 1 May.

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For further information about this press release, contact Kathryn Hobbs on +44 (0)121 213 2397, Alexa Highfield on +44 (0)121 213 2396 or Michelle Dolphin on +44 (0)121 213 2369

This press release may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.