The professional partnerships practice at Farrer & Co is well versed in the intricacies of transactional, contentious, and investigatory partnership matters. The team has extensive experience leading on noteworthy restructuring, disputes, departures, and team moves. With cross-border capabilities, the group continues to attract new clients from a wide range of industry sectors such as law, architecture, asset management, and FCA-regulated businesses. Jonathan Haley, described as a ‘consummate solicitor,’ leads the department and specialises in advising clients in regulated sectors on transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, and disposals. His former position as Honorary Secretary of the Association of Partnership Practitioners makes him an asset to the practice. The group also benefits from the aptitude of Anna Birtwistle who stands out for her breadth of expertise which covers both the contentious and non-contentious spheres- she frequently advises hedge fund, wealth management, and private equity partners on partner entries and exits, remuneration, disputes, and investigations, and has experience acting before the High Court, the Court of Appeals, and the Employment Tribunal. Eleanor Rowswell concentrates on exits, appointments, and disputes, while Kathleen Heycock focuses on investigations, team moves, disputes, and acquisitions. Alice Yandle stands out for her prowess handling joining arrangements and investigations and Georgina Fraser is noted for her proficiency in partnership agreements, acquisitions, and disposals. The group’s capabilities have been bolstered by the addition of Pooja Dasgupta, who joined the team in November 2023 from CM Murray LLP.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Anna Birtwistle and her associate term were first class. Hand's on, very available, and extremely hard working. They all really took the time to understand the matter and what the client wanted from it. ’

  • ‘Anna Birtwistle is a fantastic lawyer. She's extremely hardworking, knowledgeable and empathetic. In her field of law, Anna is one of the very best, I cannot praise her enough. ’

  • ‘Eleanor's guidance was superb in a very tricky situation. Specifically, she knew the docs very well and identified a number of drafting issues that were unclear and caused issues. The drafting of our settlement agreement was watertight and she shows very strong attention to detail. I felt very comfortable in her negotiating with the other side - she knew what was important in those discussions. She also was not afraid to tell me when I was being too aggressive in my negotiating stance which I appreciated.’

  • ‘I would recommend Eleanor wholeheartedly to anyone. She is highly competent, fights for her clients, and has a sense of humour.’
  • ‘A strong and professional firm with an excellent market presence. A class act!’

  • ‘Jonathan Haley is a strong corporate lawyer who inspires confidence in the LLP world. Superb with clients.’

  • ‘They have specialist partnership/LLP knowledge which is well supported by their corporate and private client offerings.’

  • ‘John Haley is a consummate solicitor. He knows his stuff and makes clients feel calm and confident. ’

Lawyers

Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Jonathan Haley

Other key lawyers

Anna Birtwistle, Eleanor Rowswell, Kathleen Heycock, Alice Yandle, Georgina Fraser, Pooja Dasgupta