Blake Morgan announces new Project and Cost Management division

Leading law firm Blake Morgan has announced a new service for the construction and development industry.

Believed to be the first of its kind in the UK, Blake Morgan will now offer project and cost management consultancy alongside traditional legal services. The new team will be led by James Gundy, formerly a Director of AECOM. James joins the Cardiff office of Blake Morgan along colleagues Alex Leighton and Alex McCusker.

Philip Jardine is a Partner with Blake Morgan and Director of the firm’s built environment division. He said: “The built environment landscape is changing. As a firm, we need to be innovative in our thinking and work hard to develop new services that add value to our clients and grow our revenue streams.

“Project and cost management are important services within the property and construction industry. We often find ourselves working alongside consultants and/or in-house teams on large capital programmes and have been keen for some time to explore the opportunity of developing our client offering in this area.

“As part of our Built Environment division, the new team of surveyors will complement our existing real estate, planning and construction practice groups across the firm. They will be based in our Cardiff office but work throughout the UK. We are delighted to have them on board and are very excited about the new opportunities that this will bring.”

James Gundy added: “Blake Morgan is an innovative Top 50 UK law firm with a strong regional presence across Wales and southern England. The team has a well-established property and construction offering with teams of highly regarded lawyers that specialise in all aspects of commercial, residential, urban, coastal and mixed-use projects.

“As a team, we will work alongside our new colleagues to deliver a truly integrated service across the public and private sectors that encompasses all aspects of project and cost management consultancy.

“We believe that this will offer clients the unique benefit of a combined approach to property and construction law with practical application and delivery experience. We really will be better able to protect our client’s interests, implement robust project governance and provide a holistic service during all stages of a development’s lifecycle.

“It’s a win-win situation for all and was definitely too good an opportunity for my colleagues and I to pass by.”