Octagon appoints in-house General Counsel

Beginning his career as a barrister before converting to a solicitor in his mid-20s, Kevin Healy quickly found his specialism in property law.

Cutting his teeth at both major provincial and inner-city firms and working with national and regional developers for around 10 years, an opportunity to join Mundays LLP Solicitors came along at the right time and Kevin became an equity owning partner at the independent Surrey-based firm soon after joining.

He explains; “I had enjoyed working for a wide variety of developers and built up my expertise over the years. The role at Mundays was primarily to service one of their main accounts – Octagon – who they had already worked with for nearly 20 years. They wanted someone who would work well with this important client and provide continuity – I leapt at the chance.”

“One of the first things that struck me when I started with the Octagon team – now close to 20 years ago – was the focus they placed on building long lasting relationships with their suppliers, which is really quite unique. I’ve worked alongside many of the Board and team over the years as their external solicitor and they have all been an absolute joy. Octagon is a proactive and ethical company.”

With significant expansion over the past few years, including the launch of its upper mid-market brand Chancery Homes in 2020, Octagon has been bringing more and more services in-house, streamlining the business and offering a complete end-to-end service to clients. This includes the appointment of Liz Alexander as Head of Planning, the launch of an exclusive Interior Design service, and significant additions to its Land Buying and Design teams.

Joining Octagon in August, Kevin has supervised the legal aspects of the sale of a prominent site in Thames Ditton alongside the purchase of a new development of seven houses in Putney.

“These were deals I had been working on alongside Octagon for quite some time, but to be in the office and working so closely with the whole team made a huge difference. It was a big team effort and a great way to start my role here.”

“Looking ahead, the process is going to become much more streamlined for the whole team. I can now get involved in and contribute at a much earlier stage – I’m joining land meetings and working closely with the estimators, surveyors and land buyers and have a far greater oversight on land acquisition.”

“Working with most of the team for so long means I’ve settled in quickly and knowing the brand and its values so well already definitely puts me at an advantage – it’s an exciting time to be moving in-house.”

“My move from external provider of legal services to in-house General Counsel was a natural progression and the transition has been both seamless and hugely enjoyable.”

Octagon Group CEO, Tim Banks comments; “I have worked alongside Kevin for many years – he’s been part of the wider Octagon team for a long time and we’re incredibly lucky to now be in a position to bring Legal Counsel in-house.”

“His extensive experience in the sector coupled with his history with Octagon makes him the perfect addition. He has certainly hit the ground running, and I’m confident his expertise, knowledge and guidance will play a huge role in Octagon’s continued growth going forward.”