Pitmans in GLA planning swoop

Planning expert Allan Ledden joins as a director from the GLA, a client that the firm has been doing an increasing amount of work for.

Pitmans' planning department, headed by Daniel Drukarz, has advised London Mayor Ken Livingstone's GLA on a number of planning matters, including regeneration projects in the Docklands. The firm came in for some criticism earlier in the year regarding its fees charged to the public body, but has shrugged that off to win more work.

Managing partner Christopher Avery aims to create more businesslike titles for more senior lawyers that he anticipates promoting to partners.

Bill Howard joins the firm as a partner from niche London property firm Wilson Howard. He joins the commercial property group, which is headed by partners James Burgess and Andrew Davies.