Charles Russell Speechlys announces six individuals promoted to partner, effective 1 May 2023, in addition to two legal directors and 11 senior associate promotions.
Commenting on the news, Bart Peerless, senior partner at Charles Russell Speechlys, said: 'It is a great pleasure to welcome these individuals into the partnership. These promotions are strongly supportive of the Firm’s strategy both in the UK and internationally, and I am confident that each of these new partners will make a significant contribution to the firm in the years ahead.'
The newly promoted partners and legal directors are:
Richard Davies (pictured) – Commercial – UK, London
Richard joined the Firm in 2017. He is a commercial lawyer specialising in the sports, technology, and media sectors. His expertise includes advising clients on marketing, digital content, and sponsorship as well as sports media and data rights and staging major events. Richard’s clients range from start-ups and athletes to PLCs, international sports organisations, and charities.
Katie Talbot – Tax, Trusts & Succession – UK, Cheltenham
Katie joined the Firm as a trainee in 2006, qualifying in 2008. She has wide-ranging experience in all aspects of private client work and has spent the last 12 years contributing to the growth of the landed estates and heritage property practice. She provides strategic advice to estate owners and guides high net worth individuals, families and trustees on complex tax, trust, and succession issues. Katie regularly advises on conditional exemption and heritage issues.
Robert Avis – Private Wealth Disputes – Switzerland, Geneva
Robert joined the Firm’s Geneva office in 2020. Qualified as a barrister in England, he counsels international and UK clients on multi-jurisdictional private wealth and commercial disputes, frequently collaborating with colleagues across the Firm’s international offices. Day-to-day, Robert navigates contentious trusts and estates issues as well as trust planning and administration matters and provides expert advice on English law issues to the Swiss courts and those of other jurisdictions.
Caroline Young – Commercial – UK, London
Caroline joined the Firm in 2016. She has extensive experience advising on commercial contracts, with a focus on technology and commercial intellectual property. She is a trusted advisor to many clients, working across a broad range of sectors, from business and consumer technology to life sciences, brands, and retail. Caroline also has particular expertise in HiTech manufacturing and engineering, to which she leads the Firm’s focus group.
Phil Webb – Real Estate – UK, Cheltenham
Phil joined the Firm in 2018. He is an established real estate lawyer who leads on strategic land (including promotion, option, overage and collaboration agreements) and renewable energy projects for landowners. As well as his core areas of focus, Phil acts for landowners, investors, and developers on a wide range of matters, including asset management, land promotion and development and natural resources and on the commercial aspects of rural property and diversification issues.
Mazin Al Mardhi – Construction, Engineering & Projects – Dubai, UAE
Mazin joined the Firm in 2019. His primary area of focus is contentious and non-contentious construction work fonftr clients based in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Mazin acts for multinational construction companies, operators, manufacturing companies and high-net worth individuals on high-value disputes and his work stretches across various sectors including insurance, engineering, and hospitality. Mazin works closely with local advocates and litigators on contentious matters before the national courts of the UAE and Bahrain and more recently has focused his practice on construction disputes under arbitration.
