Regional law firm Thrings, which has an office in Bristol, has bolstered its commercial property offering with the appointment of Richard Pike as associate solicitor.
A highly-experienced commercial property specialist, Richard, pictured, joins from Swindon law firm Clark Holt, where he worked for just over two years. 
He previously practised for eight years in the City with Shepherd and Wedderburn and in-house at the London Development Agency (LDA).
During his career Richard has acted for clients on many lucrative, large-scale commercial property acquisition deals, several in excess of £200m. He has also worked on a number of high-profile projects in the UK, including advising the LDA on the transfer of the London 2012 Olympic Park to the legacy body and the Emirates Air Line cable car across the Thames.
Richard’s arrival will also strengthen Thrings’ fast-expanding international credentials, having worked on a wide range of commercial property and development matters in Kenya. This includes advising on the land aspects of a new geothermal power plant within Mount Longonot National Park and drafting documentation for pre-lets at Nairobi Business Park.
In his new role, Richard – who will be based in Thrings’ Bath office but work with colleagues across its Bristol, Swindon and London bases – will advise developers, landowners, land agents and local authorities in London and the South West on a range of commercial property issues, including lease options, land law and mining and mineral extraction.
Richard said: “I have been aware of Thrings’ excellent national and regional reputation for some time, and am excited to have the opportunity to utilise my experience of working in private practice, in-house and abroad to further enhance the firm’s commercial property offering.
“Amid increasingly buoyant market conditions in London and the South West, I am very pleased to be joining a firm whose expertise and high-quality client base matches that often found in larger City firms and one which remains at the very heart of the South West legal landscape.”
Thrings commercial property partner Ben Jones added: “During his career Richard has gained a wealth of experience from advising high-end clients in the City, while the time he spent as an in-house advisor means he is perfectly placed to understand and act upon his clients’ legal needs.
“This appointment signals a continuation of Thrings’ strategy of recruiting the best and most experienced lawyers in the commercial property sector. Working closely with his colleagues in the firm’s offices in Bath, London, Bristol and Swindon, Richard will be a huge asset to a team whose focus remains on providing specialist legal advice and developing long-term relationships with clients.”
Richard’s appointment completes a highly successful period for Thrings’ commercial property team, with deals worth more than £400m and growth of 20% over the past year contributing to the firm securing top-tier status for commercial property in this year’s Legal 500 guide to the UK’s top legal professionals.
