Innovative law firm Temple Bright is continuing to develop its strong real estate practice in the South West by advising Cooperative retailer Radstock Cooperative Society on the expansion of its property portfolio.
The Bristol and London has been working with the Society on the construction and opening of stores in Trowbridge, Warminster, Weston-super-Mare and, most recently, Bridgwater over the past 18 months. 
The Society, established in 1868 and currently celebrating its 150th anniversary, has been rolling out an ambitious expansion plan which has expanded its estate to 19 stores, with further outlets due to open shortly. In addition, the Society runs a 1,000-acre dairy farm.
Chief executive Don Morris said: “We are delighted to extend our Somerset and Wiltshire portfolio in these four key locations, further enhancing the Society’s investment in these flourishing regions. Each new store offers a focal point for the local community.”
The Temple Bright team advising the Society comprises four partners – Ian Davies (real estate), Julia Davenport-Cooper and Kit Harvey (construction) and Polly Reynolds (planning).
Ian Davies, who leads the team, said: “Having been the Society’s legal advisor for 11 years, I am excited to see it flourishing in such a tough and competitive market for food retailers. The continued expansion of the Society’s portfolio proves how strong the Cooperative brand continues to be at local and national level.”
Temple Bright was launched in Bristol early in 2010 by three lawyers specialising in corporate, real estate and employment work. Operating a streamlined model relying on technology and a pioneering partner-only structure, the firm had grown to 15 lawyers by the end of 2012 before opening an office in London’s ‘Tech City’ district, north of the City, on the third anniversary of its launch.
Temple Bright, which is now approaching 60 partners, spread evenly across the two offices and covering 13 commercial practice areas, serves clients across a variety of sectors, ranging from start-ups to PLCs and public sector bodies.
Co-founder Tim Summers said: “We were delighted to advise the Radstock Cooperative Society on this significant expansion in Somerset. This is a prestigious client for the firm and the addition of four new stores to its South West portfolio demonstrates real commitment to the region.
“Temple Bright’s roots are in the South West and real estate work has been a major part of our business from day one. We now have 12 property lawyers across our two offices, with another 10 handling property litigation, planning and construction work. So real estate remains a core focus for us and it is particularly satisfying that our practice is continuing to expand in the region where we first got started.”
