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Given the history attached to the word – Bobby Everest, one of the founding partners of the firm, was a direct relation of Sir George Everest, Surveyor General of India, after whom the world's highest mountain was named – we make the change with due respect to this unique history. But we have also recognised that the business has grown geographically and that a greater degree of unification and branded identity would enhance it internationally.

We will retain the names for our subsidiaries, building costs consultant Mott Green Wall, specification writer Schumann Smith and capital allowances consultant Crosher & James, but they will all be prefaced with Davis Langdon.

Similarly, country names will fall away in mainland Europe and the Middle East, with Davis Langdon becoming the branded identity for the practice.

Changes will also take place in America and Australasia, as the firm moves to a unified Davis Langdon international brand.

We will also become a limited liability partnership on 1 May. The benefits of moving to an LLP are widely recognised, but probably the most important issue for us is that we retain the partnership model, which we strongly believe to be the best way to provide the services our clients need. It also offers us the opportunity to modernise our business, with more partners having a financial interest in Davis Langdon.

These changes, together with others such as greater sector specialisation, are focused on improving our understanding of the criteria that must be met on construction projects if clients are to secure a successful outcome.