Melville Rodrigues, a former partner at international law firm CMS, has joined Charles Russell Speechlys’ (CRS) real estate practice.

CRS said it has appointed Rodrigues as a partner with specialist expertise in real estate and funds.

Rodrigues was part of the real estate funds team at CMS, where he focused on the launch and operation of funds holding underlying real estate investments in the UK as well as on a cross-border basis and attracting institutional, private and retail equity.

He also advised on direct UK real estate transactions, as well as secondary trades in the UK and European real estate fund units.

James Carter, a managing partner at CRS, said: “Melville is highly regarded in the world of real estate funds, both in the UK and internationally. I am delighted to welcome him to the firm and we look forward to working with him.”

Rodrigues said: “Charles Russell Speechlys offers a fantastic opportunity to grow my practice, and I look forward to working with the teams in the UK and overseas.”