Wilkin Chapman appoints new partner to strengthen East Yorkshire real estate team

The firm has welcomed Chris Crystal as a real estate partner based in the Beverley office

The largest law firm in Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire, Wilkin Chapman, has appointed a specialist commercial property and agricultural lawyer as its new partner.

Chris Crystal has over 20 years of experience working with large corporate entities, commercial landlords, property developers, farming businesses, education providers and charities.

He is recognised as a Leading Individual in the Legal 500 – an independent legal guide ranking individuals and firms on feedback from clients and peers – for his real estate expertise in the Yorkshire region.

Based in the Beverley office, Chris will collaborate with partners Justin Graves and Katie Wright, along with other commercial property and agricultural property law colleagues, to grow and develop the firm’s real estate offering.

Chris joins the team of 40 real estate specialists based across the firm’s offices and, as a partner, will work closely with head of real estate, Rachael Dicken.

Speaking of his new role, Chris said:

“It’s a pleasure to join the Wilkin Chapman team and I’m looking forward to applying my previous experience to establish new relationships with clients and generate further opportunities for the firm.

“I deal with all aspects of commercial property including option agreements, acquisitions, disposals, refinancing and overage agreements, with specialisms in both the agriculture and education sectors. These specialisms align well with Wilkin Chapman’s client base and, in my new role, I’ll be working with clients to understand their perspectives and ensure their ultimate goals are met.

“I’m also looking forward to being part of an expanding team and playing a key role as the firm works towards achieving its strategic growth plans.”

Rachael Dicken, head of real estate at Wilkin Chapman, added:

“We’re thrilled to welcome Chris to the team. He is a highly regarded and experienced partner who has an excellent reputation on the North Bank for property work. He has experience in both agricultural and commercial property matters which makes him a great asset to our thriving real estate team in Beverley.

“He has also helped many educational institutions, mainly FE colleges and academy trusts, by advising on the property aspects of academy conversion, as well as working with food businesses. Because of this, he’s well positioned to work within these sectors alongside our existing clients and create new opportunities for the firm.

“With the addition of Chris’s skills and experience, we’re really looking forward to working together to extend our reach and expertise to new and existing clients across our area.”

Chris joins Wilkin Chapman after spending more than 20 years at firms based in Hull. He has handled high value and complex real estate projects in the Yorkshire area and has extensive experience working with clients in the agriculture sector.

To find out more about Wilkin Chapman’s commercial property and agriculture teams and their full range of legal services, please visit www.wilkinchapman.co.uk.