Lewis Djemal takes the helm at HCR Law’s Thames Valley office

Lewis Djemal has taken on the role of leading HCR Law’s Thames Valley office.

Having joined the firm in 2021, Lewis has been heading up the Thames Valley Real Estate team. Lewis will now extend his responsibilities as he steps into the role of Head of Thames Valley.

Lewis has deep-rooted connections across Thames Valley and is highly regarded within the business community. In his time as Head of Real Estate for Thames Valley the team earned recognition and ranking in the Legal 500.

He succeeds Heath Thomas, who has overseen the office’s growth in recent years. Under Heath’s leadership, the office relocated to Aquis House in 2020, a move that has since seen the headcount grow more than fourfold. Driven by growing client demand, this expansion has recently seen a number of senior appointments, including Phil Jacques, Real Estate Partner and Richard Devall, Partner in Employment and Immigration.

On his appointment, Lewis Djemal commented: “I’d like to thank Heath and HCR Law for this opportunity. Heath has led the Thames Valley office since I joined and has consistently driven it forward, attracting specialist lawyers and ensuring we continue to deliver market-leading services across the region.

“I’m excited to take on this new role and lead the Thames Valley office. With the support of the Thames Valley Partners, I look forward to building on the strong foundations Heath has laid and, most importantly, continuing to deliver a leading service to our clients.”

Heath Thomas said: “It has been a pleasure to lead the Thames Valley office and to witness the team’s progression, all driven by strong, growing client demand across the region and underpinned by our culture of a passion for people and delivering an exceptional client service. Lewis is an outstanding solicitor and leader, as demonstrated by the success of the Thames Valley Real Estate team. I look forward to seeing the office continuing to thrive under his leadership.”

Heath Thomas will now focus on leading HCR’s Insurance, Risk and Regulatory service, which has also experienced notable growth. This includes the recent appointment of Ben Ticehurst as Partner and the Insurance and Risk practice being named a finalist at the British Insurance Awards 2025.