Regional law firm Ashfords has continued to boost the expertise in its Bristol office with another two lateral hires from rivals in the city – this time taking on two partners from TLT.
Neel Mehta joined this week as a partner in the firm’s construction and infrastructure team while Paul Butterworth will move over to its real estate team later this summer. 
The pair join an office boosted by the arrival of a number of high-profile partners over the past year.
In January Kate Topp joined its property team after 11 years with Osborne Clarke while last summer its corporate tax team was strengthened by the appointment of tax expert Nicola Manclark, who arrived after more than 10 years at Burges Salmon.
These moves followed on from the appointment of Andy Braithwaite earlier last year as head of the office’s commercial team. Andy joined from Thrings and has also worked in the Bristol office of Osborne Clarke.
Ashfords said these appointments reflected how much the firm and its Bristol office, where it employs around 80 people, had grown and changed over recent years.
Neel, pictured, brings more than 16 years’ experience advising on significant and complex construction and engineering, infrastructure and energy and waste projects across a full range of the varying perspectives of contractors, developers, consultants, public bodies and funders.
Paul has particular expertise in regeneration, along with extensive knowledge of legal and other issues affecting the sector. A member of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) South West board and now standing for CIH vice president, his work in the sector spans nearly 30 years, including heading teams at a local authority and a housing association.
At TLT, where he was a senior partner, he was central in developing its social housing practice. He was also joint head of the housing sector and focused on major development projects, including some of the most significant housing schemes in London and the South East.
Ashfords partner and head of the Bristol office, Chris Dyson, said: “Neel and Paul’s appointments are aligned to our strategic growth plan and again demonstrate our ongoing commitment to both expand our Bristol office and ensure that we continue to provide the highest levels of expertise and quality of legal service for our clients.”
Neel added: “I am delighted to be joining such an experienced and highly regarded firm. It’s an important move for me given their high-profile clients both locally and nationally in the construction sector.”
