Leaving Harrison Clark Rickerbys’ construction and engineering team in experienced hands, Andrew James has handed over leadership after more than 10 years in the role to colleague Keith Blizzard in a move which enables Andrew to develop his role in the industry more widely.
Keith, who was the first RICS member to be approved as a non-solicitor partner, took over the team as from April 1 – well known and highly regarded in the industry, he is a chartered quantity surveyor, chartered construction manager, chartered arbitrator, panel adjudicator and commercial mediator. Having also previously run his own quantity surveying and project management company, he knows the industry from the inside out.
Andrew, who remains a partner at HCR, will continue to look after his clients and contacts, but the change in role will give him more time to focus on other industry matters, including his new role as chairman of the Technology and Construction Solicitors Association’s (TeCSA) Adjudication Committee. He has been responsible for TeCSA’s Low Value Dispute (LVD) Adjudication Service, designed to make adjudication more affordable for SMEs and individuals, the first such service launched in the UK. He is also chairman of the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Constructing Excellence Club (HAWCE), which promotes best practice in the industry.
He said: “I am delighted to hand over the reins to Keith, who I have known, liked and respected for many years, and who I was pleased to recruit to HCR in 2017. This transition has been in the planning for over a year now, and I know the team will be in good hands with Keith. I am particularly pleased that we are continuing to offer the multi-disciplinary approach of having not only lawyers, but also quantity surveyors, and other construction professionals in the team, which I know our clients value.”
Keith said: “The holistic approach our team offers our clients is a real advantage and while it is a daunting task to follow Andrew, we have been working together, so the transition will be seamless. His outstanding legal expertise, experience, sense of humour and client focus will continue to be of huge benefit to all of us and I look forward to supporting Andrew as he develops his many interests and responsibilities in both the legal profession and the construction industry.”
Harrison Clark Rickerbys has more than 500 staff and partners based at offices in Worcester, Birmingham, Cheltenham, Hereford, the Wye Valley, Cardiff, Cambridge, the Thames Valley and central London, who provide a complete spectrum of legal services to both business and private clients, regionally and nationwide. The firm also has a number of highly successful teams specialising in individual market sectors, including health and social care, education, technology, agricultural and rural affairs, finance and financial services, defence, security and the forces, and construction.
