Harper James announces four partner promotions

Harper James, the full-service business law firm purpose-built to enable entrepreneurial and ambitious businesses to succeed, is pleased to announce four partner promotions across the firm’s Corporate, Employment and Client Services teams, taking its total number of partners to 20 and a 50/50 male to female split. These promotions come in addition to six further promotions within its Business Development, Marketing and Finance teams.

Corporate Partner Nikki Reid is a specialist M&A lawyer with a wide range and depth of experience working with clients on a variety of corporate transactions, including company and business sales and acquisitions, venture capital and private equity investments, management buyouts, group reorganisations, and Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs).

Employment partner Sally Gwilliam advises clients on a range of non-contentious and contentious issues including discrimination, TUPE regulations, outsourcing, restructuring, as well as senior exits, service agreements and consultancy arrangements.

Kate Wright, partner and head of client services, and Nicky Collins, partner in Client Services, have over 50 years’ combined experience between them as Commercial and Corporate solicitors. They lead the firm’s unique Client Services team in helping clients identify the legal services needed to accelerate their business growth potential while ensuring the support they receive meets their expectations.

The firm is proud of its ‘no bureaucracy and red tape’ culture and it operates a relatively flat structure throughout the business. Routes to progression are varied and the firm works closely with individuals on their career development plans, including supporting its senior lawyers in pursuing a partnership role if they wish to.

This is further enabled by the firm’s centralised business support functions, which relieve lawyers of the non-chargeable aspects of their work, eg marketing, business development and administrative tasks, which lawyers in more traditional firms typically have responsibility for.

Speaking of the recent promotions, founder and CEO, Toby Harper, comments: “Founding Harper James, I wanted to enable lawyers to have the fulfilling careers they deserve in a firm that champions their wellbeing, professional development and access to great work. To see Kate, Nicky, Sally and Nikki progress to partnership is fantastic and we’re extremely proud of them and excited to see what’s next for them. Kate and Nicky’s promotions also reflect the quality of their work and the important role our Client Services team plays in supporting the diverse needs of our large client base. Congratulations all!” 

Commenting on Nikki’s promotion, partner and head of corporate, Adam Kudryl, adds: “I talent-spotted Nikki on the other side of a deal and thought she would be perfect for my team – and she has been! Nikki has gone from strength to strength since joining us, delivering quality legal advice with real context and leading deals with gusto. I am proud to promote her to Corporate Partner, to recognise her capabilities and expertise.”

Simon Gilmour, head of employment, said about Sally’s promotion: “Having worked with Sally for over two years now, it gives me great pleasure to see her promoted to employment partner as she is a true asset to our great team. Sally has grown into a genuine leader and she has shown a real flair for management, being a natural people person and engendering strong positive working relationships with colleagues and clients alike. With Sally’s leadership and contributions to our team, I have no doubt that we will achieve our ambitious growth targets.”