Cripps Harries Hall hires strategy consultant27th November 2012

South East law firm Cripps Harries Hall LLP, has today announced the appointment of Christopher Digby-Bell as consultant. Christopher joins Cripps on a non-executive basis to drive business development, with the aim of broadening the firm’s reach and generating new opportunities.

This appointment is the latest in a series of innovative business moves by Cripps Harries Hall, which includes its landmark Mexican Wave initiative with Hogan Lovells; the groundbreaking and successful partnering of two firms to handle the Prudential’s real estate work.

Christopher’s appointment enhances Cripps’ already sizeable real estate team, which consists of 18 partners and 55 fee earners. In the past year the team has acted on: issues around HS1 for London and Continental Railways Ltd; the sale of a retail park for The Junction Fund (part of Capital & Regional); a shopping centre acquisition for Peer Group Plc, and asset management work for the Home Office, the Crown Prosecution Service and numerous other real estate investment clients. Significant developer clients include Wates Developments and Bovis Homes, and the firm has also been growing in the affordable housing sector, recently winning the Southern Housing Group as a client.

Cripps’ managing partner, Jonathan Denny, said: "We are excited to have Christopher on board; he brings not only great experience and an in-depth knowledge of the real estate sector but also a fresh outlook to the business, which will be invaluable for the future direction of the firm.”

With over 40 years of experience working in and with the legal sector, Christopher has worked for a number of top UK firms. Initially starting his career as a lawyer, he was managing partner at Taylor Garrett (now Taylor Wessing), and later was international managing partner of Frere Cholmeley Bischoff (now Eversheds/ Forsters). He is an award winning pro bono disability rights lawyer and is deputy chairman of Palmer Capital.

Christopher said: “Cripps’ real estate team has a growing reputation as one of the strongest in the country. I’m looking to bring insight to Cripps’ strategic direction and to implement plans to drive business growth. It will be interesting and exciting work in a fast changing market where positioning and focus are key. Right now, the legal market is throwing up new challenges and opportunities that Cripps is ideally placed to take advantage of.”