Four senior property lawyers moved to Edwin Coe in recent weeks, wagering that commercial real estate deals are finally returning after months of stagnation.
The Lincoln’s Inn firm recruited partner Deepa Deb from Watson Farley Williams, along with the entire team from boutique practice NC Morris—partners Charles Joly and Shou Chen, plus consultant Nicholas Morris. The simultaneous arrivals mark Edwin Coe’s largest property team expansion in years, timed to coincide with what lawyers describe as a palpable shift in market sentiment.
Deb brings a substantial client roster built across stints at Dentons and BCLP before Watson Farley Williams. Her move signals confidence that the dry spell has broken.
“I’ve always believed that real estate is a relationship business,” she said. “Clients want judgement, clarity and solutions, not over-lawyering and process for its own sake. Edwin Coe is an ambitious and agile firm. One that is genuinely focused on nurturing long-term client partnerships, which is where I believe growth comes from.”
The NC Morris contingent brings decades of experience spanning City office blocks, boutique residential projects and country estates. That firm had previously referred work to Edwin Coe—making the absorption feel less like a raid and more like a long courtship reaching its natural conclusion.
Joly pointed to the expanded service offering as the catalyst. “Joining Edwin Coe means our clients will have access to a far wider service, with real experts in areas such as trusts and litigation so we can give the full wrap-around support they need to manage their wealth,” he explained. “The market is showing shoots of growth, and we’ve seen a big uptick in instruction over the last few weeks, making it a very exciting time for this move.”
That uptick matters. Private capital has been circling commercial property opportunities for months, waiting for valuations to stabilise and interest rate uncertainty to ease. The instruction flow Joly references suggests institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals are finally pulling the trigger on deals that stalled through 2024 and into early 2025.
For Edwin Coe, the timing allows it to field a significantly deeper bench precisely when transactional activity is accelerating. Partner Alison Broadberry framed the recruitment as strategic positioning rather than opportunistic expansion.
“Our new joiners’ reputation is second to none – they combine technical excellence with commercial judgement and a strong client following, as well as the personal approach our clients value,” Broadberry noted. “The arrival of Deepa and the NC Morris team is a clear statement of intent as we continue to invest in our Property Group and support clients through the next phase of market activity.”
The reinforced property practice now covers commercial and residential transactions, construction matters, property finance and property litigation. That full-service capability distinguishes Edwin Coe from specialist boutiques that dominated certain segments during the market slowdown but lack adjacent expertise in trusts, tax structuring and dispute resolution.
NC Morris, established decades ago, built its reputation advising landed estates and affluent individuals on complex property holdings. Those relationships now transfer to a platform with broader resources—critical when a single client might need simultaneous advice on a commercial lease, trust restructuring and boundary dispute.
The legal market for property expertise has fragmented in recent years. Bulge-bracket firms dominated large commercial deals while boutiques captured high-net-worth residential and estate work. Mid-sized practices like Edwin Coe occupy the space between, offering partner-level attention with multi-disciplinary support.
Deb’s background illustrates the trajectory. She built her practice at major international firms—Dentons operates across dozens of countries, BCLP maintains a significant transatlantic presence, Watson Farley Williams specialises in finance-adjacent sectors. Her willingness to move to a smaller platform suggests confidence that deal flow will favour relationship-driven practices over institutional scale.
The reference to 2026 already showing growth signals that the appointment pipeline extends beyond these four hires. Law firms typically plan recruitment quarters in advance, matching capacity to anticipated workflow. Broadberry’s mention of supporting clients “through the next phase of market activity” implies Edwin Coe expects sustained momentum rather than a brief window.
Whether that optimism proves justified depends on factors beyond any single firm’s control. Interest rates, planning reforms, and broader economic confidence will ultimately determine transaction volumes. But the clustering of senior moves within a tight timeframe—Joly mentioned “the last few weeks”—suggests multiple lawyers independently reached the same conclusion about market direction.
For clients of the incoming team, the transition offers expanded capabilities. For Edwin Coe, it represents a calculated bet that the property market’s dormant period has ended. The question now is whether instruction volumes justify the investment in senior talent—or whether the “shoots of growth” Joly identified prove premature.
