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Top Telford Property Lawyer Retires- 03/05/2011
One of Telford’s best known commercial property lawyers, who played a key role in the development of the new town, has stepped down from his legal practice.
As Head of Commercial Property at Telford Development Corporation (TDC) in the 1980’s, and then a Partner and commercial property specialist at Shropshire law firm FBC Manby Bowdler LLP, John Freeman has been involved in many major property transactions in Telford.
Over the past 30 years Mr Freeman has provided legal advice on the acquisition, development and sale of key land and properties, including Telford Town Centre, the former Tennis Centre, now the International Centre, Telford Ice Rink, Telford Railway Station, Telford Plaza and most of the major campus manufacturing sites in the town.
Left to right: Niall Blackie & John Freeman
Born in Walsall, Mr Freeman read Law at the London School of Economics before qualifying as a solicitor in 1974. Practicing first in London, Mr Freeman returned to the West Midlands, joining the TDC in 1981. He became a partner in the law firm, then known as Manby and Steward, in 1987 and helped in the firm's move to Blount House in 1989, since when he has headed up the commercial property team.
In addition to his focus on commercial property, Mr Freeman became the law firm’s first managing partner in the early 1990’s, working in the firm’s Wolverhampton head office, at a time when legal practices were first allowed to promote themselves and began to be run more as businesses.
A resident of Apley, Mr Freeman has been, and remains, a staunch advocate of Telford and the benefits of living and working in the town.
He said: “When I first came to Telford in 1981, there were only a few shops and one supermarket in the town centre, a few factories in Halesfield and Stafford Park, no M54 motorway, no Telford Central railway station, no cinema and no Marks and Spencer’s. I am lucky enough to have played a small part in helping to build Telford into what it is today, and I am passionate in telling people about how much the town has developed over the past 30 years, and what an excellent place it now is.”
Mr Freeman regards leaving FBC Manby Bowdler not as retirement, but as a ‘change of direction’ which will include travel, more walking and leisure time in the surrounding hills and countryside, as well as some consultancy work.
Niall Blackie, Senior Partner at FBC Manby Bowdler, paid tribute to Mr Freeman. He said: “On behalf of the firm, I would like to thank John for his hard work and commitment both to the development of the town of Telford, and to the growth of our commercial property team, which, thanks to his help and guidance is now the largest in Shropshire.”
FBC Manby Bowdler is one of the largest law firms in Shropshire and the West Midlands. In addition to Telford, the firm also has offices in Shrewsbury Bridgnorth, Wolverhampton and Willenhall.