Harding Evans welcomes New Head of Commercial Property

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Harding Evans have announced the appointment of Scott Keddle as their new Head of Commercial Property.

A Commercial Property solicitor for over a decade, Scott brings extensive experience advising on wide-ranging and complex transactions across the UK.

Whilst Harding Evans have been successfully handling commercial property matters for many years, the appointment and formation of a dedicated commercial property team marks a real signal of intent from the firm to drive the practice area forward. BusinessIn Wales spoke exclusively to Scott, along Ben Jenkins, head of the Commercial group at Harding Evans, on what the future holds.

“I’m genuinely really excited about joining Harding Evans” Scott said. “They’ve got a really good profile in south Wales and the broader market. They’re a long-established firm with a great client base and as soon as the opportunity came up, I grabbed it with both hands. It’s really exciting”.

The growth of the Commercial Team at Harding Evans is an area Ben has been laser-focused on in recent times and the now dedicated Commercial Property practice bolsters Harding Evans’ offering, which incorporates Commercial Litigation, Corporate & Commercial, Debt Recovery and Employment Law.

“The Commercial Group is something that I’ve had in the back of my mind that I wanted to grow for a while now,” said Ben. “But before we wanted to push into what is a very competitive sector, I wanted to make sure the team was right, and that’s exactly why we brought Scott on board.

“Now we are set with the infrastructure, we’re ready really kick on and win even more clients in that area.”

It was those growth plans and ambitions that helped drive Scott’s decision to join the firm.

“The owners have got a real vision for where they want Harding Evans to be in the future,” he said. “We’ve got some exciting plans for growth. We already have a strong client base, particularly in commercial property, and I’m looking forward to growing the team and expanding the sectors we advise.”

He added: “We’re growing, and we’re recruiting, because demand from clients is there.”

“As we grow, we want to put the right processes and procedures in place so we can give excellent quality advice and deliver it in a timely manner,” Scott said. “Clients are demanding and we want to service them as quickly as we can.”

Ben added “I’m extremely excited to have Scott join us. He’s got a fantastic reputation and we’ve already had some really good client wins in no time at all, which speaks for itself,” he said.

“His background and attitude are really in line with what we’re looking to do at Harding Evans. He’s got great enthusiasm and energy, and he is exactly who I wanted to help us grow the commercial group, which is going from strength to strength.”

Scott joins Harding Evans after building experience across international and UK law firms, alongside several years in in-house roles.

“I’ve worked in a number of large law firms internationally and in the UK. I also worked in the Middle East for a number of years in in-house practice” he said. “I’ve also worked in-house in the UK across different sectors, including healthcare, logistics and energy, which gives me a real broad spectrum of background knowledge that I can advise clients on.”

“I’ve also recently completed an MBA, which helps me advise clients commercially as well as legally, and that tends to be what clients currently want.” Scott added. “There’s lots of lawyers that can advise on the law, but fewer that can advise you on the commercial points and that tends to be a good draw.”

Every business, big or small, will regularly face commercial issues that need legal support. Harding Evans recognise that every business is different, with its own specific goals and requirements, and tailor their advice for each client by offering a boutique-style service.

The Commercial group are well-versed in representing a wide variety of businesses across a number of sectors; from private and commercial landlords, start-ups and small businesses, to large SMEs and PLCs.

The firm has a strong reputation for providing clients with high-quality advice on a whole range of matters, including disputes and commercial litigation, commercial property, mergers and acquisitions, debt recovery and insolvency, professional negligence and employment.

Harding Evans’ “Your lawyers for life” mantra could not be truer, reflecting the firm’s broad range of services to both businesses and individuals, with specialist teams also able to advise on a wide range of personal legal matters.

Harding Evans supports clients across Wales, England and beyond from its offices in Newport and Cardiff.