header-logo header-logo

01 October 2025
Categories: Movers & Shakers , Profession
printer mail-detail

Laytons ETL—Rebekah Parker

Firm appoints first female managing partner as it marks 150th anniversary

Laytons ETL has named Rebekah Parker as its new managing partner, making her the first woman to hold the role at the internationally focused commercial law firm. Parker, who joined Laytons as a trainee in 2008 and qualified into its disputes department in 2010, has been a partner in the team since 2018. She gained higher rights of audience in 2021, enabling her to represent clients in court as a solicitor-advocate, and has served as deputy managing partner for the past six months.

Her appointment comes as David Jones steps back from the role to concentrate on his position as UK head of legal at ETL GLOBAL UK. As managing partner, Parker will lead the implementation of the firm’s ambitious growth strategy, which includes achieving turnover of £20 million by 2027. In 2024, the firm increased its revenues by 24.5 per cent year-on-year to £11.7 million and moved to new Cannon Street offices designed to support future expansion.

Reflecting on her appointment, Parker said: ‘Having begun my career at Laytons as a trainee, I’m honoured to be appointed managing partner. I’m proud to be the first woman to take on this role and will draw on my personal experiences to guide my approach to leadership.’ She added: ‘I’m committed to maintaining the firm’s strong foundations of excellence, collaboration and global reach, and excited about working with our talented teams to shape the future of the firm.’

David Jones praised the appointment, describing Parker as ‘an exceptional litigator and also a fantastic leader’. He expressed confidence that she would ‘be more than equal to the task of guiding the firm to the next level, both in terms of its financial targets and its ongoing development as a key player in the mid-market both in the UK and worldwide’.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Clarke Willmott—Kevin Joynes & Neil Gosling

Clarke Willmott—Kevin Joynes & Neil Gosling

Clarke Willmott bolsters housebuilder expertise in Birmingham

Carpmaels & Ransford—Kevin Cordina

Carpmaels & Ransford—Kevin Cordina

Firm adds former Simmons Simmons patent head to engineering and tech team

ACTAPS—Sally Goodger

ACTAPS—Sally Goodger

Freeths strengthens its voice in national disputes with ACTAPS committee appointment

NEWS
4PB chambers has announced the 2026 winner of its Alan Inglis Memorial Essay Prize, now in its third year
Murder could be split into first and second degrees, under Law Commission proposals for a historic overhaul of homicide offences
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Australian-style ban on social media for under-16s will be difficult to enforce, lawyers have warned
One in two women in law say their current working pattern is unsustainable for their long-term health, according to a report by the Next 100 Years project
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has highlighted a lack of safeguards where people use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help with legal problems
back-to-top-scroll