New East Midlands Legal Form Hopes to Break the Mould

THE owners of a new niche property and planning law firm hope to transform the market with a service that builds trusted partnerships while moving away from the traditional hourly billing model.

Experienced lawyers Shruti Trivedi and Iain Hibbert have launched Devello Group, a specialist planning and property development practice with offices in Nottingham and Lincoln.

The co-founders and friends, who have more than 40 years of legal experience jointly, have previously led large teams in one of the East Midlands’ biggest law firms.

“It just felt the right time to strike out on our own and create a new kind of law firm – we want to do things differently in a holistic way and saw a gap for a niche service in the market,” said managing director Shruti, an experienced specialist planning solicitor in the public and private sectors.

“I have worked with Iain for almost a decade and we thought the time was right to pursue our shared vision of developing a new working model in our own practice. Our costs structure is very flexible to suit the needs of the client and the project, rather than simply billing time on an hourly rate basis.

“Every case will be priced according to the specialist knowledge and value we can deliver following a discussion with the client about their and the case’s needs. Of course, time recording cannot be avoided in situations such as court hearings, but our ethos is to always work efficiently and effectively, focusing on the quality of our work and creating long-term relationships.

“Our approach has been well received so far – clients have told us this flexible system is refreshing. We want them to see us as part of their internal team and that our collaboration and our bespoke advice is adding real value.”

As well as its niche law practice, Devello will offer a high-level strategic advisory service to developers, landowners, promoters, investors and others in the planning and development sectors. The team will be involved from the outset of a deal being negotiated to ensure that legal constraints are considered. The team can also manage the entire project for the client to ensure a smooth process.

The company has ambitious growth plans and wants to create numerous jobs over the next two years, at its head office in Regent Street, Nottingham, and in Lincoln, where it has an initial base at the Chamber of Commerce.

Iain, a property expert and Devello’s CEO, said he hoped the company’s model would inspire change in the legal world.

“We know there are long-held traditional practices that people adhere to but it was important to us to free our team from the pressure of timesheets. We want to look after our people and create a genuinely close-knit team that works together to achieve the best results with our bespoke offering.

“We’re also ensuring that we’re technologically as advanced as possible to give information quickly in an easily digestible way.

“We want to show clients and the wider industry that you can promote change for the good. We will have a strong client focus and agree a cost structure that suits both sides.”

Both Iain and Shruti were equity partners at their previous firm before setting out on their own. Shruti, recognised as a ‘Leading Individual’ in the Legal 500, has expertise in drafting and negotiating complex agreements, advising on strategic housing schemes nationally and dealing with judicial review and statutory challenge procedures. Beyond her legal work, she is also a trustee at young people’s charity Base 51 in Nottingham.

Iain has a background in residential and commercial development, commercial property transactions and energy projects including offshore wind, solar and battery projects.

To find out more about Devello Group, visit their website here: https://devellogroup.co.uk/

Or call them on 0115 704 2500 or via email: info@devellogroup.co.uk

For more information, please contact Rosie Lees or Annie Brafield at Cartwright Communications on 0115 853 2110 or email RosieL@cartwrightcommunications.co.uk