Unlocking new frontiers of growth

It was a year of growth for all of our regions as we welcomed 21 lateral hire partners to our teams in the UK, Asia, the Middle East and Europe – an unprecedented number for our Firm. These spanned Banking & Finance, Corporate, Dispute Resolution, Financial Services Regulation and Funds, Private Client, Real Estate and Tax. The full list of new joiners and their areas of expertise can be found later in this Review. As our clients’ international horizons broaden, they want an international private capital law firm that can match their ambitions, and our recruitment drive reflects our commitment to continuing that journey alongside them. The opening of our Milan office in November echoes this strategic focus and is a significant milestone for our business. The new office is led by an exceptional team of experienced lawyers who bring a wealth of expertise in private capital and expert local knowledge.

It is a similar story in our Singapore office, which exceeded all growth expectations during its first 18 months and continues to be a valuable support to our international clients on their most complex private capital advisory requirements.

Our clients and their needs are more diverse than ever, and we must be diverse and creative in our solutions to meet those needs. Underpinning this is a pledge to create an environment which is supportive, inclusive and empowers our people to thrive. Read on to find out how we are upholding that pledge, and attracting and retaining the best, diverse talent across our business. 

Also last year, our ESG Steering Committee, of which I am a member, began to develop a comprehensive ESG strategy for the Firm. We consulted with our clients and our people to identify the ESG issues which are most material for our business. The ESG strategy will address the Firm’s direct impact as a growing international business and the ways in which we support our clients to achieve their ESG objectives. Another core focus for our Firm is innovation, and we made great inroads in this regard with the launch of our Advanced Client Solutions team in April. In the pages that follow, you can read about how this growing team is leveraging Generative AI to foster new ways of working that better support our clients in the areas that matter most to them. Both this work and our Private Office demonstrate our commitment to building truly collaborative relationships with our clients for the long term. We hope you enjoy reading this 2024 Review and as always, we welcome your feedback.