Reading: Boyes Turner promotes four to partner
Reading-based law firm Boyes Turner has announced promotions in its employment, corporate and dispute resolution teams. Stephen Baker, Chris Dobson and Andy Whiteaker have all been made up to partner. Rowan Turrall has also been appointed partner, and this will take effect from September 28 on her return from maternity leave.
Stephen Baker, previously a director, brings a wealth of experience to the dispute resolution team in dealing with a wide variety of commercial litigation disputes, acting for a variety of UK and international companies as well as individuals. He is a CEDR qualified mediator. His work encompasses a number of areas from technology sector disputes to product liability claims and from intellectual property to reputational management.
Baker takes the lead on several areas of the group’s practice and deals with substantial claims in the High court where an understanding of the client’s business is equally as important as the legal issues. He works closely with the firm’s employment team advising on and dealing with business protection injunctions. Prior to this promotion Stephen has been identified as an Associate to Watch in Chambers and Partners and a Next Generation Partner in the Legal 500.
Chris Dobson, previously a senior associate in Boyes Turner’s corporate team, joined the firm in 2012 and advises clients on a broad range of corporate transactional and general company law matters. He acts for both national and international clients ranging from entrepreneurial start-ups, angel investors and SMEs to listed companies. He advises on legal issues across a number of business sectors and works closely with clients to advise them on all aspects of their transactions. Dobson is ranked as a "Rising Star" by the Legal 500 and is recommended in particular for M&A transactions in the technology and healthcare sectors.
Previously a director, Andrew Whiteaker is an experienced employment lawyer who joined Boyes Turner in 2008. He assists his clients in a wide variety of contentious and non-contentious employment matters, including human resources support, providing employment support for mergers, acquisitions, and disposals, employment tribunal litigation and negotiating and drafting executive service contracts. He also advises on industrial relations issues such as trade disputes, collective agreements, industrial action, and injunctive proceedings. As a member of the European Employment Lawyers Association he also supports clients on a pan-European basis working with international partner firms. Whiteaker has specialised in employment law since qualifying in 2004. He speaks regularly and provides training to in-house legal advisors and HR professionals, as well as drafting and presenting bespoke training seminars and workshops for clients. He is a member of the Law Society and the Employment Lawyers Association and is ranked as a “Rising Star” by the Legal 500.
Rowan Turrall, currently a senior associate solicitor, takes up her new role as partner and head of the dispute resolution team at the end of September. She has been advising on a wide range of contractual disputes for over 16 years and works closely with the firm’s commercial and technology team dealing with technology-related disputes. She is the head of the firm's construction service. Turrall is experienced in dealing with substantial claims in the High Court and County Court and has resolved a number of cases through mediation and adjudication.
She arranges and delivers a highly successful series of seminars on construction-related topics. Turrall is recognised as a Next Generation Partner in the Legal 500 and as an Associate to Watch in Chambers and Partners.
Jonathan Grigg, who became Boyes Turner managing partner in April, said: “I’d like to offer huge congratulations to all four of our newly-appointed partners. The promotions are very well deserved; it is particularly pleasing to see home-grown talent flourishing at the firm. It is a mark of our collective confidence in our future that we now welcome them into the partnership.
"I look forward to seeing them all continue to grow and develop their contribution to the firm as they reach this important milestone in their careers. These appointments reflect our commitment to rewarding talent as we expand our business both locally and across the UK as well as internationally."
