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’.
