Birmingham firm Lee Crowder has appointed non-lawyer Brian Tickner to the newly-created position of chief executive in a shake-up that also sees the departure of the head of its respected property department.

Tickner, who was previously an accountant with the former accountancy firm Coopers & Lybrand, joined the firm at the end of last year from a client of the firm, hardware manufacturer Saint Gobain Pipe Systems, where he was chief executive.