Nabarros appoints for property boom

Nabarro Nathanson has appointed corporate partner Amanda Howard to head its commercial property marketing group.

The internal move comes as the firm aims to expand its share of the sophisticated property finance market.

The commercial property industry sector group coordinates the cross-selling of services to property clients.

Howard takes over on 1 May from Geoffrey Lander, who is stepping down as head of the group and head of commercial property to become the property department's international development partner. David Wright is taking over Lander's role as head of commercial property (The Lawyer, 13 December 1999).

Howard says: "We have been focusing on certain industry groups to show clients we have strength in depth in those areas, and one of those groups is commercial property, which we are so well known for.

"What is different about my appointment is that I am a corporate partner rather than a property partner, but my practice is mainly property finance work. At the moment I head the property finance group which is a sub-group of the industry group."

She says her appointment will bring "a different perspective" as the firm aims to cross-sell its corporate expertise to its blue-chip property client base.

"We see the real estate market becoming increasingly sophisticated and increasingly taking on more of a corporate perspective.

"There is going to be a lot more securitisation and structured finance rather than boiler plate conveyancing work. It is a recognition by our firm about the way we see the market going."

Nabarros' plan echoes that of rival property firm Berwin Leighton, whose managing partner Neville Eisenberg also wants his property and corporate groups to work more closely to cross-sell services.

"Oh, are they copying us?" asks Howard of Berwin Leighton's strategy.