The Manchester office of national law firm Clarke Willmott LLP is expanding its social housing team with the appointment of specialist Stuart Whitehead.

Stuart, who has more than 20 years’ experience in the sector, previously worked as deputy group solicitor at Jigsaw Homes Group.

Commenting on his appointment, Lindsay Felstead, head of Clarke Willmott’s social housing management team, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Stuart and very much look forward to working with him.

“He has an excellent reputation in the industry and his former in-house role gives him an excellent understanding of the work carried out by our registered provider clients.

“His appointment brings a wealth of experience and will enable us to have an even greater impact on the sector.”

Stuart qualified as a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives in 2010 and was admitted to roll of solicitors in June 2013.

His role at Jigsaw included all aspects of housing management, policy and data protection work including advocacy at court in respect of possession and injunction matters.

Prior to qualifying Stuart was a neighbourhood manager at Jigsaw giving him a unique insight into the daily workings of a registered provider.

Clarke Willmott’s social housing team acts for more than 100 clients including registered providers, registered social landlords, arm’s length management organisations, local authorities, charities and care organisations.

The Manchester office of Clarke Willmott has undergone significant expansion this year, with a move into Grade A office space at 55 Spring Gardens, and the appointment of new partners and teams.

Clarke Willmott LLP is a national law firm with seven offices across the country, in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton and Taunton. For more information visit www.clarkewillmott.com