CMS Cameron McKenna is creating a dedicated Taylor Woodrow team in its Bristol office as part of a deal to massively expand its role with the developer

Camerons is capitalising on Bristol’s lower cost base to recruit a 15-strong plot sales team and plans to relocate a senior lawyer from London to run the practice.
As revealed by The Lawyer last week, Camerons emerged victorious from a hard-fought tender and will share Taylor Woodrow’s £6m property legal spend with Eversheds.
However, Camerons can not currently resource the same volume of plot sales work as the national firm.
The decision to set up a team is an unprecedented step for Camerons. It previously carried out only a
limited amount of Taylor Woodrow plot sales work from London for high-grade residential schemes, such as Montevetro in Battersea. This is the first time it has set up a discreet practice in its own offices for a client.
The move also reflects a shift in Taylor Woodrow’s business away from stand-alone commercial development in favour of residential and mixed-use schemes. It also follows the decision of general counsel Jeremy Sampson to cut a 14-strong in-house team which deals with land acquisition work, residential sales and conveyancing.
Camerons partner Mark Heighton, who runs the long-standing relationship with Nick Brown, said the idea of a Bristol team was always part of its tender proposal. “As the volume of plot sales grows – which we believe will happen because of Taylor Woodrow’s expansion plans – the team will increase to 20 in the next 18 months to two years.”