James Stewart to succeed Craig Emden as managing partner

Following an election by the partnership, James Stewart will become the new managing partner of Howard Kennedy with effect from 1 May 2025.

James will take over from Craig Emden, who has been managing partner of Howard Kennedy since 2017 and will have completed his permitted two four-year terms as managing partner, having previously been joint managing partner for more than three years.

Under Craig's leadership Howard Kennedy has seen significant growth. Since his appointment the firm's revenue has grown by 45% to £74.4m, with profits growing by more than 30% in the same period.

Since 2017 the partnership has doubled with an additional 35 partners. The broader headcount has also grown with almost 140 people joining the firm.

James' total time at Howard Kennedy spans almost 19 years, having first joined the firm in May 1997 and then re-joining in May 2017. James currently holds the position of Head of Real Estate.  Over the course of his career, specialising in construction, he has successfully led complex, high-profile cases, advising clients across a broad range of sectors with a particular specialism in development and development finance for residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects. James works with developers, funders, consultants, and subcontractors, offering guidance from project inception to completion, including managing defects and account issues. He also handles dispute resolution matters including mediation, adjudication, and arbitration, addressing matters such as professional negligence, delay claims, and insolvency-related disputes.

James' appointment to managing partner-elect marks an exciting milestone for Howard Kennedy.

To ensure a smooth transition of the leadership, from Monday 4 November, James will begin a six-month shadow period alongside Craig before a formal handover on 1 May 2025.

Commenting on his appointment, James says, "I am honoured to have been elected managing partner. The firm is in an exciting growth period, and I look forward to continuing to grow the business through my vision and strategy over the next four years.

"In the meantime, I want to thank Craig for all that he has done for the firm as managing partner. The exceptional growth and culture we've seen at Howard Kennedy would not have been possible without his strong vision and leadership."

 Current Managing Partner, Craig Emden adds, "I am thrilled to hand the role of managing partner over to James and to watch his strategic vision for Howard Kennedy come to life. James not only understands the needs of our business and cares deeply about the success of the firm, but first and foremost, he cares about the success and achievements of our people. I have known James for more than 25 years and I feel a great sense of comfort in knowing that the future of our firm will be in such capable hands."

 Howard Kennedy under Craig's leadership (2017 – to date)

• Revenue up from £51.2m to £74.4m – up 45%
• Profits up from £15.7m to £20.5m– up 31%
• Partner numbers have increased from 52 to 70
• People numbers have gone from c. 362 to 488 – a 38% increase
• In March 2023 Howard Kennedy completed its merger with Corbett & Co, an international construction law boutique.