Farrer & Co has announced four promotions to the partnership, covering the IP & Commercial, Family and Commercial Property teams. The promotions recognise, in part, the firm’s continued growth and investment in these areas.
As of 1 July 2011, Edward Banyard Smith, Mark Gauguier, Eliza Hebditch and Paul Jones have been elected to the partnership, bringing the total number of partners to 81.
The announcement follows several external partner appointments over the past 12 months which have included property specialists Andrew Bailey, Clive Lovatt, Robin Holmes, and leading private client practitioners Nick Dunnell and Rhoddy Voremberg.
IP & Commercial
Paul Jones, who becomes a partner in the IP & Commercial team, trained at Farrers and qualified in 2002. Whilst he undertakes a variety of general intellectual property work, it is commercial contract work that is now the mainstay of Paul's workload and his recent experience; with large-scale and complex projects - in both the public and private sectors - being a particular focus. These have involved major outsourcing contracts, sponsorship programmes and IT and digitisation projects for clients within the cultural, educational, sport and media sectors primarily. Paul also provides the firm's public procurement expertise.
Family
Eliza Hebditch becomes partner in the Family team after training at Farrers and qualifying in 2003. Eliza advises on a wide range of family law matters for both international and UK-based high net worth clients. Her work ranges from complex financial disputes between spouses or cohabitants (many of which have an international/cross-jurisdictional element) to matters regarding children and paternity. She also advises on and negotiates pre-nuptial agreements.
Commercial Property
Edward Banyard Smith and Mark Gauguier will further strengthen the firm’s Commercial Property team, bringing the number of partners working in property to 18.
Edward Banyard Smith, who joined Farrers in 2008, is a construction specialist, whose experience includes drafting and negotiating complex construction and procurement contracts, and advising on the construction aspects of real estate and finance transactions for private property investors, charities and other institutions.
Mark Gauguier qualified in 2003 after training at Farrers and has a wide range of commercial property experience. Mark has acted for private investors, charities and property funds both on the acquisition and disposal of investment and development property and on landlord and tenant matters. Mark also advises institutional investors on a broad spread of property matters.
Jim Edmondson, Joint Senior Partner, said:
“We congratulate Edward, Mark, Eliza and Paul on their promotions to the partnership which reflect our ongoing commitment to developing talent and investing in our people.
The appointments further enhance the expertise that we can offer to our business, institutional and individual clients and reflect the “trusted adviser” status that each of our new partners has established with their clients and contacts within the sectors that they operate.”
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For more information contact Cara Rowell, Marketing Executive, on 020 3375 7289 or email cara.rowell@farrer.co.uk
Notes to Editors
About the Firm
The above appointments will bring the number of partners to 81, as of 1 July 2011.
Farrer & Co’s turnover for the year 2010 – 2011 increased by 10% to £46.6m. In what has been a challenging market, this increase is not off the back of a dramatic decline - to the contrary, growth over the two previous years (2009 and 2010) was 9% and 5% respectively.
Revenues are generated broadly equally across our business, charities and not-for-profit, and private client sectors.
Nearly 60% of our partners are recognised as “Leading Individuals” in their particular areas of expertise by Chambers and Partners 2011.
The firm has recently won the titles of:
- Firm of the Year 2009, 2010 & 2011 - Citywealth
- Private Client team of the Year 2010 & 2011 – The Lawyer
- Law Firm of the Year (Family) – Spear’s Wealth Management Awards 2010
- Private Client/Family Team of the Year - British Legal Awards 2009
- Charity Team of the Year – STEP Private Client Awards 2009
- Runner up – Best Managed Firm of the Year – MPF Awards 2009
- Highly Commended – The Lawyer, Most Effective Employee Benefits Package 2010
- Best Recruiter: Medium City Firm – Training & Recruitment Awards 2011