RWK Goodman hired Lara Hourihan on Thursday, luring the property lawyer from Trowers & Hamlins after a year in which its health and social care team expanded by a third. The London-based partner brings a decade of experience in care home and later living real estate.
The appointment comes as legal work in the sector intensifies. Hourihan spent more than ten years at Trowers, advising investors, developers and operators on land acquisitions, joint ventures, real estate finance and regeneration projects. She also logged time in-house at a retirement living provider.
That dual perspective—law firm rigour combined with operator insight—made her a target for RWK Goodman’s health and social care practice, which recorded 34% growth over its last full financial year. The firm traces its origins to 1873 and operates seven offices along the M4 corridor from Bristol to London.
Care sector property deals have multiplied as operators consolidate and later living schemes proliferate. RWK Goodman acts as legal partner to the Care Association Alliance, NASS, NASAP and the Outstanding Society, giving it access to providers navigating a turbulent regulatory and funding environment.
Hazel Phillips heads the firm’s health and social care team. “We are delighted to welcome Lara, whose strong real estate background and specialist Health & Social Care experience will be invaluable,” she said.
“Her appointment marks a key step in our sector team’s strategic development – reinforcing our commitment to delivering an integrated service across a wide range of areas, whilst providing specialist sector knowledge.”
Hourihan’s hire follows recognition at the HealthInvestor Awards, where the team secured a shortlisting in 2025 for Legal Advisors of the Year in the transactional category. The awards ceremony is scheduled for 2026.
For Hourihan, the move represents a bet on continued expansion. “I’m excited to be joining RWK Goodman and contribute to the team’s growth nationwide. The firm is committed to supporting care and later living providers and the team’s deep market expertise and understanding of provider challenges closely align with my own experience, making this move an excellent fit,” she said.
The firm’s health and social care lawyers work across London, the Thames Valley and the South West. RWK Goodman ranks among the UK’s top 100 law firms, advising clients across 36 specialist areas. It is also a founding member of Interleges, an international network of independent law firms.
Property transactions underpin much of the sector’s legal activity. Care home operators require specialist advice on complex land deals, development finance and joint ventures with institutional investors. Later living schemes—often involving shared ownership or leasehold structures—add further complexity.
Hourihan’s experience spans TOGC transactions, a niche area where properties transfer as going concerns for VAT purposes. Such deals are common when care homes change hands with residents in situ, requiring lawyers who understand both real estate mechanics and care sector operations.
The 34% growth figure suggests RWK Goodman captured a significant share of instructions as the sector’s legal needs expanded. Whether that momentum continues depends partly on investment flows into care and later living, which have fluctuated amid interest rate volatility and regulatory uncertainty.
Triple-digit occupancy rates at many care homes have attracted investor interest, even as providers grapple with staffing costs and Local Authority fee pressures. Later living schemes appeal to a demographic bulge of equity-rich homeowners seeking age-appropriate housing, creating development opportunities that require legal structuring.
For now, RWK Goodman is betting that demand for specialist sector knowledge will outpace general real estate expertise. Hourihan’s appointment suggests the firm sees a pipeline of work sufficient to justify expanding its partner ranks in London, where competition for quality laterals remains fierce.
The timing aligns with broader consolidation in the legal market, where mid-sized firms compete for niche sector dominance. Health and social care represents a defensible specialism—regulatory complexity and sector-specific financing structures create barriers to entry that reward accumulated expertise.
By week’s end, Hourihan will be fielding calls from existing clients and building relationships with RWK Goodman’s care sector contacts. Her success will hinge on whether the firm’s growth trajectory continues and whether her client relationships survive the move from Trowers.
The real test comes in the next twelve months, when instructions either follow or dry up.
