Foot Anstey has appointed Stephen Arnold as its first chief client officer, adding significant senior expertise to its leadership team and reinforcing its commitment to client-centred growth. Stephen joins the firm on 1 December 2025, following a period of strong performance and sustained investment in its national strategy, including expansion into Northern Ireland through its combination with McKees and a growing presence in Manchester as a key future hub.
Stephen brings wide-ranging senior experience from international law firms, having begun his legal-sector career at Linklaters before moving to Clifford Chance, where he helped shape the firm’s global client strategy. He later served as global business development and marketing director at Clyde & Co, delivering growth initiatives, strengthening global client programmes and supporting integration during a period of rapid expansion.
In his new role, Stephen will lead Foot Anstey’s client function and help drive the firm’s next phase of growth by deepening collaboration across teams and sharpening the clarity of its go-to-market approach. Managing partner Martin Hirst said Stephen’s appointment ‘reflects the scale of our ambition’, adding that his experience will be ‘invaluable as we continue to grow and strengthen our market position’.
Stephen said the firm has ‘a clear strategy and strong momentum’, noting that he is ‘excited to join at this stage’ and to work with partners to ‘strengthen how we support clients and build the next phase of our market position’.
