Experienced Residential Property solicitor, Anna Dunn, has joined Tunbridge Wells-based law firm, CooperBurnett LLP, as a Partner. She is relocating from Brighton, where she has lived and worked for 11 years and brings with her particular experience working with housing associations and developers.
This marks a return to Tunbridge Wells for Anna, as she trained at a local firm, where she worked for six years. During that time, Anna often dealt with CooperBurnett’s Head of Residential Property, Jennifer Irving, on the other side of transactions.
“Having known Jenni for nearly 20 years and being aware of CooperBurnett’s excellent reputation when it comes to Residential Property, I am confident making the move,” says Anna. “CooperBurnett feels like the right firm for me; big enough but not so large that it starts to feel impersonal. It’s also somewhere people are supported to stay and grow their careers.”
Adds Jennifer Irving: “I am absolutely delighted that Anna is joining our busy Residential Property department, she will be a great addition to the team!”
Over the years, Anna has worked across a range of property matters and, as well as acting for developers, she still enjoys the more typical residential property work, including residential sales/purchases, buy-to-let investments, transfers of equity and re-mortgages, supporting both individuals and investors.
“It sounds like a cliché but CooperBurnett really feels like a family and you can see how closely everyone works together,” adds Anna. “In addition to my colleagues in Residential Property, I’m looking forward to working with team members such as Partner, Oliver Bussell, who focuses on Planning.”
After she qualified, Anna split her time between Litigation, with a focus on property, and Residential Property.
“I worked in London for a couple of years, dealing with housing associations on the contentious side with fraud and procurement issues,” Anna explains. “This was interesting but quite a pressured environment and I’d often end up sleeping at my desk… I made the decision to move away from contentious work and, after a brief time back in Tunbridge Wells which allowed me to focus on residential property full-time, I moved to Brighton.”
Most recently, she has been ‘running teams and building offices’ on the coast.
When Anna left school, she didn’t immediately study law but graduated from the University of East Anglia in Norwich with a degree in Psychology – which she says has helped her to understand ‘the human element of law’. She was offered a training contract in Tunbridge Wells – a town where she knew nobody at the time.
Anna discovered a friendship group in amateur dramatics, performing in productions at Trinity Theatre in Tunbridge Wells and The Oast Theatre in Tonbridge.
Returning to this area means Anna will be able to get involved with Trinity Theatre again and she has already taken on a role as a Trustee on the Board, where her legal expertise and enthusiasm for the arts are sure to be welcomed.
When not at work, Anna enjoys dancing and being in nature, as well as attending comedy and music gigs. Her brother now lives in Australia, so she’s also planning to visit him next year.