Morgan Cole has boosted its Oxford and Reading teams with the appointment of two new lawyers, Sadie Fairfax and Helen Brockhurst.

The latest appointments bring the firm’s headcount to over 450 and follows a year of rapid growth. In the last financial year, 89 staff have joined the business, with expansion in both the Oxford and Reading offices.

Reading appointment

Helen Brockhurst joins Morgan Cole’s Reading office to work within the firm’s Commercial Property division. Helen, who trained at a large regional firm in Wiltshire, comes with three years post-qualification experience and joins at a particularly busy time for the Reading team.

Paul Brame, who heads up Commercial Property at the firm’s Reading office comments: "With so many negative headlines at the moment we were expecting that the market would slow down, but we’re finding the opposite is true. The current economic climate seems to be making local businesses far more proactive about commercial property decisions, either to head off potential problems or to make their property portfolio work harder for them. It means we’re extremely busy, so Helen’s arrival provides a much-needed boost to the team."

Helen adds: "Morgan Cole’s great reputation in the Thames Valley and beyond was a key driver in my decision to join the firm. This is a very important time for the commercial property sector with the new legislation on energy performance and business rates coinciding with tough economic conditions."

Oxford appointment

Sadie Fairfax joins Morgan Cole’s Oxford Construction team, led by John Conder. Having studied at the University of Oxford, Sadie returns to the city after working in London and Milan. Her role at Morgan Cole will focus on construction, property development, projects and procurement.

Sadie commented: "I’m delighted to return to Oxford and looking forward to working at Morgan Cole, particularly as the firm’s track record in property and construction is so strong."