International legal and professional services firm Ince has announced the appointment of Leighton Sheady as a partner in its commercial property team. Leighton will be based in Cardiff, further strengthening Ince’s footprint in the region.
Leighton is a specialist in commercial property, and has advised on the acquisition, disposal, letting, and funding of commercial properties—with a particular focus on the leisure sector. His recent work has included the Cardiff Pointe project, which saw a brownfield site transformed into a unique world-class waterfront, and the recent development of Cardiff’s famous 2012 Olympics training venue—the International Sports Village. He has advised regional and national developers, including Persimmon and Barratt, on complex land assembly and site setup for large residential developments in Wales and across the wider region.
Leighton also has extensive experience supporting corporate lawyers in business acquisitions, and recently advised an energy company on the sale of a biomass plant to a Danish investor in a £160M deal.
Ince Cardiff is continuing to adapt to meet the changing demands of commercial, leisure, and retail property clients. As businesses come to terms with market challenges—including economic contraction, high inflation, and high debt costs— there is an ever greater need for strategic, innovative and entrepreneurial guidance and assistance. Leighton’s wide-reaching experience will help Ince to continue to improve its offering for businesses in South Wales. In addition, he will collaborate with commercial real estate colleagues in Ince’s Bristol and London offices, bringing his own areas of expertise and broader experience to the mix to bolster the services that Ince provides nationally.
Leighton Sheady, partner at Ince, commented: 'Commercial real estate is facing unprecedented change, even as it still comes to terms with the impact of the pandemic. Traditional retailers and leisure businesses are being particularly hard hit, and are in need of thorough support – while a strong e-commerce sector continues to strengthen demand for industrial units. This is a really exciting time to be joining a firm that truly values strategic, innovative, and entrepreneurial guidance.'
Paul Simon, managing partner of Ince’s Cardiff office, said: 'We are delighted that a Partner of Leighton’s calibre is joining us. He can further bolster our service offering and support our clients throughout the commercial challenges that they are facing. Leighton will bring fresh thinking and entrepreneurial ideas to the team, and help us to continue our growth in Cardiff.'
This appointment comes after Ince announced a technology-led know-your-customer (KYC) solution for the real estate sector last year.
