A new corporate lawyer has joined a Gloucestershire law firm as an equity partner to "drive strategic growth" at the business.

Senior mergers and acquisitions lawyer, Graham Spalding, has over 25 years corporate and private equity experience, acting for corporate, private equity.

According to the firm he has just joined, Lodders, he has owner managed clients in sectors including pharma, manufacturing, light industrials, and professional services.

Prior to three years at London firm RPC, Mr Spalding was at Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co (now Gowlings) in Birmingham for 17 years, after six years at Eversheds LLP.

Paul Mourton, managing partner at Lodders, which has its county offices in Cheltenham,, said the new addition to the team would work alongside Kim Klahn, the firm's head of the corporate and commercial team.

"Graham is a highly experienced senior corporate lawyer and a significant hire for the firm," said Mr Mourton.

"Graham and Kim make a strong, winning team, and are both focussed on growth for the team, to firmly establish Lodders' Corporate and Commercial practice as a real force in the region."

Mr Spalding said: "Working with Kim and the wider corporate and commercial team across the firm's network of offices, we will utilise the combined experience to deliver Lodders' strategic expansion plans and realise the firm's plans for growing the volume and size of deals in the corporate arena, working for OMBs, SMEs, family and privately owned businesses throughout the region."

His arrival comes at a time of what the firm described as "significant growth" for its corporate and commercial team, which has experienced a 25 per cent increase in the volume of completed transactions.

It has also made a number of key appointments, including Leanne Lawrence, who joined as an associate, and paralegal Matthew Harris.