Jim Gallagher is joining the Manchester office of real estate advisors Colliers International as a rating director from the Valuation Office Agency (VOA).
With more than 30 years’ rating experience, including litigation in the Lands Tribunal and Upper Tribunal, Jim was most recently Head of Commercial Leisure and Civics in the National Specialists Unit at the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), where he was responsible for overseeing properties for non-domestic rating purposes, running a team of 20.
Prior to that he headed the Specialist Rating Unit for the North and was Group Valuation Officer for the North West.
Throughout his career Jim has obtained specialist experience in advising the sports industry, most notably through his involvement in lengthy negotiations in respect of the Etihad Campus and its City Football Academy.
Until recently, he carried out most of the rating work for Premiership football grounds and training grounds in the North and agreed a scheme of valuation for rugby grounds with shared pitches for the RFU.
Jim brings specialist litigation experience to Colliers, having been involved in important cases around the valuation approach to be taken on niche assets including doctors’ surgeries, ATMs and places of religious worship. A career highlight includes his work on Gallagher v Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is still the leading case on religious exemption – a topic on which he lectures to RICS Rating Diploma candidates.
Jim’s reputation within the VOA is second to none; he was named the VOA’s Outstanding Leader in 2017 in their annual people awards.
John Webber, Head of Rating, Colliers International, said: “Businesses are crying out for decent advice on how to deal with their rate bills given the fallout from the 2017 Revaluation, where sudden increased bills have hit many companies for six. And adding to a new appeals system (CCA), which many acknowledge is not fit for purpose, many businesses need urgent professional support to negotiate the new system.
“This appointment will help keep Colliers at the forefront in looking after our clients and lobbying the government for reform. We now have over 90 rating professionals in our team, working from nine offices across the UK. I welcome the expertise that Jim brings to our already experienced team and look forward to working with them as we continue to strengthen our offering and provide quality all round business rates advice in these difficult times.”
