Ashursts loses two property lawyers

Ashurst Morris Crisp is losing two more lawyers from its property department.

Partner Guy Wheatcroft is leaving the firm after 16 years to set up his own property development company while senior assistant Huw Thomas is due to join Bircham & Co at the end of the year.

Since November last year, the firm has sustained a number of losses in its property department, the most recent of which include equity partner Charles Leach, senior assistant Andrew Lewry and assistant Simon Colvin (The Lawyer, 31 July).

Wheatcroft says that his decision to leave is not connected to the losses.

Wheatcroft will not act as a lawyer at the new company. He says: "The intention is that this will be a clean break but if I needed a legal adviser Ashursts would be my number one choice."

Thomas confirmed that he is leaving the firm, but he declined to comment on the reasons behind the departure.

Simon Cookson, head of property at Ashursts, says the firm will make up two or three assistants to equity partner level. This will add to the 11 property and planning partners already housed in the department.