Shakespeare Martineau boosts social housing team with legal director hire

Law firm Shakespeare Martineau has hired a new legal director, Anita Rasaratnam, to its social housing development team in London.

Rasaratnam joins from top 50 law firm Penningtons Manches Cooper, where she worked with a wide range of housing associations and charities, assisting them with development and regeneration projects.

With more than 12 years’ experience, Rasaratnam specialises in the development and regeneration of affordable housing.

She also has expertise in shared ownership, right to buy and right to acquire sales, which has given her “extensive commercial insight into the practicalities of the affordable housing market”.

Rasaratnam said: “Shakespeare Martineau has a highly successful social housing practice with well-established, long-lasting client relationships, including with some of the largest providers in the country. I am thrilled to be a part of it and to have joined a firm that believes in empowering its people and nurturing its talent. I am looking forward to providing an excellent service to my clients, while also working to grow the team collectively and individually.”

The firm has revealed that Rasaratnam will be “primarily based” at the firm’s London hub, but will be working with clients nationally. As part of her role, she will be acting for registered providers in their development site acquisitions. She will also be “supporting the social housing development team’s organic growth in London”.

Joanna Lee-Mills, partner and head of social housing development at Shakespeare Martineau, said: “Over the past two years, we have received a rise in instructions from clients and been successful in winning tenders in the sector, which have required a need to increase capacity within the team.

“We are delighted to welcome Anita to the team – her experience will ensure our clients’ actual and aspirational objectives are met, especially with registered providers being under increasing pressure to adapt strategically and intuitively to various challenges faced by the affordable housing sector and built environment.”

Lottie Winson