Pinsents property man off to BLP

Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has hired Pinsent Masons property partner Andrew Yates as joint head of regeneration and public sector. He will co-head the practice alongside Lesley-Anne Avis.

Yates specialises in property development and funding, including commercial property work and secured lending, leisure and retail premises, institutional purchases, joint ventures and property insolvency.

Yates has been at Pinsent Masons since 1994, having trained at Slaughter & May.

Yates was part of the Pinsents team that scooped second place in the Real Estate Team of the Year category at this year's The Lawyer Awards. Along with partner David Meecham, Yates was recognised for his advice to English Partnerships on the First Time Buyer's Initiative - the first Government shared equity housing scheme of its kind.

BLP boosted its real estate practice earlier this year with the hire of Herbert Smith partner Chris de Pury (See story.) De Pury joined the firm days after real estate partner Vinay Veneik resigned amid allegations he concealed mistakes he made on transactions (15 January).