Alistair has been the firm's Chief Executive Officer since September 2001. He joined Birketts after a successful career at Bank of Scotland including a period as Regional Director in East Anglia and overseeing the bank opening new offices in Ipswich in 1993 and in Cambridge in 2000.
Alistair commented "I am grateful to have spent nearly 12 years with this great law firm, and deeply honoured to have had the opportunity to lead it along with senior partner Nigel Farthing for the last six years. I am very proud of what my Birketts colleagues have accomplished together during a decade of both successes and challenges."
"I believe that 2013 is the right time for me to step aside for a number of reasons. Birketts has grown to be a nationally recognised top 100 UK law firm. As a result, the firm is operationally very sound and positioned for continued success. I and the senior leadership team have laid out a vision for the firm that will guide Birketts for many years to come, and this gives me great confidence about Birketts' future success."
Birketts' partners unanimously approved Jonathan's appointment following a rigorous recruitment process.
Jonathan joins Birketts from a world leading financial services provider where he is Chief Operating Officer for the Corporate & Investment Banking Finance division. He has also held positions at Fidelity International and Schroders Investment Management and served in the British Army for six years with the Royal Green Jackets.
He will be responsible for building on the momentum achieved under Alistair’s leadership over the course of the last 11 and a half years and driving Birketts to the next level .
Nigel Farthing Senior Partner said "I would like to thank Alistair for the energy and enthusiasm he has brought to Birketts.
He has been a key driver in our successful development over the period of his tenure and under his leadership Birketts has grown to four offices across East Anglia and from a turnover of £6 million in 2001 to in excess of £28 million today."
"At the time of his appointment in September 2001, it was a bold move for a law firm to appoint a CEO from outside the profession. That decision has paid off, as evidenced by the considerable growth in terms of headcount, turnover and reach. The partners and staff at Birketts wish him well in the next phase of his career."
He added, "We are incredibly excited to be welcoming Jonathan to the Birketts team and his track record in strategic organisation design and implementation will be key to navigating the firm through a dynamic and evolving industry landscape."
Birketts LLP is a long-established and highly successful law firm with offices in Ipswich, Norwich, Cambridge and Chelmsford offering a comprehensive range of legal services to businesses, institutions and financially independent private clients. Having 58 partners and a total headcount of 430, Birketts LLP is large enough to provide specialist skills in most areas of the law but small enough to maintain a personal service.
Key facts and figures during Alistair's tenure
Total headcount: From 125 in 2001 to 430 in 2013
Turnover: From £6m in 2001 to £28m in 2013
Offices:
- Ipswich (established 1863)
- Norwich (established May 2004)
- Cambridge (established March 2008)
- Chelmsford (merger with Wollastons September 2010)
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Alastair Clark
PR Executive
Birketts LLP
Tel: 01245 211 334
Fax: 01245 211266
Twitter: @birkettsllp
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