Davies and Partners Solicitors in Bristol has strengthened its team with the appointment of two new senior lawyers, Brian Hession and Ian Pettifer, who are not only specialists in their field but are also both fluent in French.

Brian Hession joins the firm’s highly respected Commercial Property department.  Brian has extensive and broad-based experience of acting on real estate investment deals, development projects and advising occupational tenants on the acquisition of new premises.

Brian specialises in a wide variety of commercial property work including: investment transactions, contracts for the building of new premises conditional on obtaining planning permission, joint venture agreements, granting new leases (from the perspective of the landlord and tenant) acting for banks taking property as security and the acquisition and disposal of businesses.

Brian’s experience includes advising on the pre-letting of Cabot Circus in Bristol; acting for a FTSE100 property company in the management of its £1bn retail park portfolio; and advising on the £150m disposal of a builders’ merchant’s business.

Brian is fluent in French to a business level and has expertise in international Real Estate matters and has worked in Paris, advising on secured lending, property acquisitions and disposals and the French Real Estate element of international corporate transactions.

He said, “;Davies and Partners has a tradition of excellence in the commercial property sector. I am keen to use my expertise to assist the firm in expanding its commercial property business further and building on the client base throughout the South West and in London.

Ian Pettifer joins Davies and Partners’ highly successful employment team with over 15 years of experience, having previously been Head of Employment at three large firms in the South West and London.

During his career Ian has advised individuals and businesses including start-ups and sole traders, large UK corporates, major multi-nationals, public sector bodies, company directors, and trade unions on many aspects of employment law.

Ian developed his language skills when he read law at Rouen University in France for a year, and studied an undergraduate degree in European Legal Studies.  With an MA in Industrial Relations and also as a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and Treasurer of Gloucestershire CIPD, Ian has a detailed and working knowledge of HR issues and advises on legal matters within the context of workplace management. He regularly provides training and lectures on legislative changes in employment law.

In taking on his new role Ian said, “;I am delighted to have joined the employment law team at Davies and Partners which has an excellent reputation and is now one of the only firms in the region which has a specialist employment team.  I am looking forward to helping the firm expand its employment business across the South West.”;