Capital Bridging Finance Limited (CBFL) has announced that legal practice Blacks Connect will join its panel of specialist lawyers.

The lender has identified a need to develop relationships with legal professionals at the heart of its proposition, adding that demand from its brokers has necessitated working closely with experienced and specialist lawyers.

A broker survey conducted by CBFL in February – which called for intermediaries to identify any problems in the bridging process – found that 62 per cent of respondents demanded an improvement in the performance of the solicitors with whom they had dealt.

The news comes alongside the announcement last week that a private bank was poised to inject a significant new funding line into CBFL, presumably prompting widespread expansion and a revised product range.

Such growth already appears to be underway, with the London-based lender appointing Zara Ali as its new Collections Manager, where she will oversee the firm’s loan processes from beginning to end.

Talking about the addition of Blacks Connect, CBFL’s Managing Director Keith Aldridge said: “Since a survey we commissioned in late 2012 highlighted that many brokers thought that the legal process in our market was its Achilles’ heel, we have focussed a great deal of time on deciding who to add to our panel.

"We recognised that we needed strong representation in other parts of the UK outside the M25 as we are increasing our business in most geographic areas, especially the North of England and Scotland, and Blacks Connect is the perfect fit.”

He added: “We are delighted that David Gilman and his team are now working with us. They have a dedicated department that will guarantee Capital Bridging’s clients and brokers will get the specialist service they expect from their lender and legal partners.”

David Gilman, Partner at Blacks Connect, said: “Blacks Connect has a growing reputation in this specialist field and we are really looking forward to our partnership with Keith and his people at Capital Bridging.”

Blacks Connect is the specialist conveyancing arm of the larger Blacks Solicitors LLP and is focussed on assisting mortgage brokers and IFAs across the legal processes of a short term finance transaction.