Trowers & Hamlins is opening an office in Birmingham next month (4 July), adding to its three existing UK offices.

The office will be headed by housing projects partner Sara Bailey, who is relocating to Birmingham from London alongside fellow partner Jeremy Hunt.

Trowers has also made a double partner hire from Shoosmiths to staff the office, with Rebecca McGuirk and Yetunde Dania joining the firm.

The office will initially focus on the affordable housing sector, but the firm said over time it would also "look carefully" at growing it to cover other areas of work.

Trowers senior partner Jonathan Adlington (pictured) said: "We are broadening our national network so that we are better positioned to meet the wide-ranging needs of our clients across the UK.

"Having researched the market and in response to the needs of our clients, we know that we can deliver a more bespoke and cost-effective service by being based in the region."

He added: "It is important that we respond to the changing needs of the market. Many of our clients based in London and the southeast are looking to their lawyers to deliver a more cost-effective service for some of their work and utilising regional offices is one of the ways we can achieve this."

Trowers has existing UK offices in London, Exeter and Manchester as well as five bases in the Middle East.