Harrison Drury grows property and construction expertise with trio of appointments

Independent Northern law firm Harrison Drury has appointed two commercial property lawyers and one construction lawyer to its Manchester office, expanding its support for businesses across the north west.

Senior associate Alasdair Jones and associate Umara Naseer join the commercial property team, while senior associate Faraz Naqvi joins the construction team.

Faraz’s appointment takes the construction team to eight members, up from two when it was established three years ago. All three recruits will work with colleagues across the firm’s nine offices, advising developers, investors, landlords, tenants and contractors.

Alasdair joins from Shoosmiths, where he was a senior associate in their real estate team. Having also worked at DWF and Addleshaw Goddard, he brings nearly a decade of experience advising clients including institutional investors, pension funds and FTSE 100 companies.

Umara previously worked at Bromleys Solicitors and Mills & Reeve. Her experience includes advising institutional landlords and owner-managed businesses on commercial property matters involving healthcare, retail, office, industrial and warehouse premises.

Faraz joins from DWF, bringing broad experience in construction disputes within various sectors including social housing, hospitality/retail, sports and education. Faraz also has extensive knowledge surrounding cladding and fire safety remediation claims.

He spent eight years in commercial dispute resolution before specialising in construction and has experience of adjudications, mediation and Technology and Construction Court proceedings.

Hannah Hughes, partner and head of commercial property at Harrison Drury, said: “We want to build lasting relationships with clients as their businesses and property portfolios develop. That means investing in people who can support an acquisition or lease today while understanding what the client wants to achieve over the longer term.

“Alasdair and Umara bring experience of working with both owner-managed businesses and major institutional investors. Together with Faraz, they give us greater capacity to support clients as their property interests become more complex. These appointments reflect our investment in Manchester and in the expertise available to clients across the north west.”

Katherine Sibley, partner and head of construction, said: “When a construction dispute arises, clients need to understand their options and what each could mean for their finances, project commitments and working relationships. The strength of their legal position is important, but so are the likely cost and time involved in reaching a resolution. Commerciality is key. 

“As we’ve grown the team, we’ve focused on bringing together people who understand both construction projects and the businesses delivering them. Faraz’s broader commercial disputes experience adds to that, helping us advise clients with their wider business interests in mind.”

The appointments follow recognition for both teams in this year’s legal directories. The commercial property team retained its Tier 1 ranking in the Legal 500, while construction entered at Tier 5 for the first time.

In the Chambers UK Guide, the firm is ranked Band 3 for real estate transactions up to £10 million, with construction securing a new Band 4 ranking.