In her new role, she will advise on legal construction matters, including collateral warranties, sub-contracts and consultants appointments in order to help borrowers in their own negotiations with main contractors and speed up the transaction time by reducing the need to rely on external advisors.

Jemma, who has 10 years of experience in construction law, joins Blackfinch from Wessex Water, where she was a senior solicitor.

Her appointment brings Blackfinch’s in-house legal team headcount to six, which also includes finance and property lawyers.

•   An interview with PBL: Due diligence for developments is becoming 'more involved'
•   Blackfinch recruits investment manager
•   Blackfinch provides £1.1m development loan for West Midlands residential scheme

Commenting on her new role, Jemma said: “I am delighted to be joining the legal team at Blackfinch and look forward to supporting the business as it continues to grow.”

David Higson, investment director at Blackfinch Property, added: “We’ve gained considerable traction with commercial property developers in recent years thanks to the outstanding contribution offered by our in-house legal team — one of our core differentiators in a very crowded development finance market. 

“Jemma joining gives the team a further competitive advantage and reflects our growth and continued commitment to customer service excellence.” 

Hamish Masson, head of legal at Blackfinch, stated: “I’m thrilled to welcome Jemma to the team. 

“Her skills and expertise in construction law and private practice is exactly what we need to develop and enhance our in-house legal offering to clients. 

“Bringing this function in-house may also help Blackfinch borrowers, as it will speed up transaction times and reduce legal costs, while giving them the confidence that we can provide a best in class, all-inclusive legal service.”