Shoosmiths bolsters planning practice with new partner hire
November, 2021 - Milton Keynes, England
Leading UK law firm Shoosmiths has recruited Stuart Tym as one of the latest partners to join its Birmingham office.
Stuart has more than 15 years’ experience in the private and public sector, with planning expertise including enabling developments and enforcement proceedings, as well as compulsory purchase.
Key previous work includes acting on the renegotiation of multimillion pound section 106 agreements and providing strategic advice on the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) during the Covid-19 lockdowns – advising and obtaining deferrals in line with new Coronavirus Legislation.
Prior to joining Shoosmiths, Stuart was also head of planning at The Wilkes Partnership and senior planning lawyer at Lincolnshire County Council.
Stuart Tym, partner at Shoosmiths, said:
“Shoosmiths has a successful and rapidly growing planning practice which works with private and public sector organisations, including developers, investors and councils. Joining the team represents an opportunity to contribute towards its expansion, but also work on some of the UK's most complex urban regeneration schemes.
“The planning landscape is constantly evolving, with questions currently over the government’s planned reform of the system, outlined in a white paper last year. I’m looking forward to supporting the team in helping current and future clients navigate these changes.”
Shoosmiths has one of the largest legal planning practices in the UK. It supports commercial and residential developers, investors, retail and leisure operators, social housing providers, as well as corporate occupiers and a range of public sector bodies.
Stuart’s appointment takes the firm’s planning team to over 25 staff, including seven partners. The practice is headed up by partners, Lisa Tye and Kathryn Jump.
Lisa Tye, partner and joint head of planning at Shoosmiths, said:
“Our ambition is to continue building the planning practice – enabling us to widen the scope of services we can provide to clients. Stuart’s arrival will help us realise this aim, bringing key expertise to the role in handling complex enforcement, CIL and section 106 matters. This will be invaluable to the team and its long-term growth.”
Shoosmiths’ planning team was recognised in Planning Magazine’s 2021 legal survey, ranking fifth-place of 22 firms in the report - examining the best planning lawyers, firms and other legal providers.
Shoosmiths is hosting a series of networking and planning law updates in November and December, including an event in Birmingham on Wednesday, 8 December 2021. Find out more and register here.
