In another executive-level change, Dan Gilbert's real estate company has hired one of Detroit's most prominent real estate attorneys as chief development officer and executive vice president.

Lawrence McLaughlin, 68, officially started his new job this week at Bedrock LLC after more than four decades at Detroit-based law firm Honigman LLP, where he had been chairman of its real estate department for two decades before stepping down at the end of 2018 to pursue other professional endeavors.

He comes to Gilbert's company after a series of leadership changes there over the last year or so, starting with a leadership reshuffling in September 2018. After that, longtime Gilbert lieutenants Dan Mullen and Jim Ketai left on June 7 and Sept. 1 last year, respectively, and Matt Cullen was brought on board as CEO effective Sept. 1. Mark Dunkeson was named president/COO at that time, as well.

McLaughlin said that even though he left Honigman at the end of 2018, he has been consulting Bedrock in the interim on projects such as the Wayne County Consolidated Jail development at East Warren Avenue and I-75, which is being done as part of a deal with the county that gives the company the downtown Gratiot Avenue site where Gilbert, Stephen Ross and the University of Michigan are planning the Detroit Center for Innovation for the Ann Arbor university.

With Honigman, McLaughlin worked on a variety of development-related matters, including finance, redevelopment, construction law, incentives, joint ventures and others, a press release says.

"I had a tremendously successful and rewarding career as a real estate development attorney, which gave me a sense of what it takes to execute development on all sides. I wanted to step into a role that would allow me to leverage that," McLaughlin said in an interview Thursday morning.

He said discussions about joining Bedrock in an official capacity took place last year.

"I have a long relationship with Matt Cullen from a number of different relationships starting back at General Motors many years ago, and working with him on the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy. I think our close personal and working relationship was certainly a factor in the discussions we were having" about joining Bedrock, which has a slew of developments in the pipeline and under construction, although there have been hurdles of late.

Some of Bedrock's most high-profile projects, including the new development on the former J.L. Hudson's department store site and the Monroe Blocks development, have faced design and construction challenges, delaying them.

It's among the leadership changes Bedrock announced Thursday:

Chuck Wilson, chief security officer for Rock Security, is also joining Bedrock as senior vice president of operations and chief security officer, a new role.

RJ Wolney becomes senior vice president of corporate development and analytics, a new position at Bedrock; he was previously vice president of investment and finance.

Sam Hamburger has been promoted to vice president of acquisitions and leasing, a new position, from his previous position as director of acquisitions.

Gabrielle Poshadlo has been promoted to vice president of communications, from director of communications. She replaces Whitney Eichinger, who left late last year for a position at Southwest Airlines Co.

Bedrock's expansive real estate holdings total more than 18 million square feet, the vast majority of which is Detroit.