Senior executives

Farrer & Co

Distinguished by its deep bench and breadth of expertise, Farrer & Co advises on contentious employment disputes, specialist investigations, business protection, appointments, departures and public inquiries. Jointly led by Eleanor Rowswell and Anna Birtwistle, the group benefits from Rowswell’s extensive experience in disputes and investigations into misconduct allegations, and Birtwistle’s record of advising clients in the legal and financial services sectors. Other notable names in the practice include David Hunt, who excels in partner moves and restrictive covenant matters; Kathleen Heycock, who is active in assisting with senior partner moves within the Big Four accountancy firms; Alice Cave, who is experienced in employment contracts and exit packages; and Alice Yandle, who is active in the insurance, legal, private equity and financial services sectors. In addition, the team leans on the senior expertise of David Smellie.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘I worked extensively with Eleanor on the exit of the partnership where I was working. 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 her wholeheartedly to anyone in a similar situation to me. She is highly competent, fights for her clients and has a sense of humour. Thank you, Eleanor!’
‘Charmaine Pollock handled my exit from an exec role - so it was a pretty stressful time for me. She handled the situation with empathy and was supportive throughout. She was firm with the other side when needed, but also recognised the importance of settling promptly.’
'The great thing about Farrer & Co was the all-round service they provided. I was really impressed by how quickly they were to help me and how much confidence they gave me in their expertise. If one of the team wasn't available to talk to, then someone else in the team was already fully briefed on my case to give me the same level of support/advice which was crucial.'
'I was really impressed by how proactive and thorough the individuals were to understand all the details of my case. Individuals in other firms had been less willing to provide solid advice in the initial stages. However, Alice Yandle gave me some great advice early on which not only helped my case getting to a good outcome but also reassured me during a difficult time.'

Work highlights

Acting for a number of key executives on the sale of a private equity business, providing urgent advice on the impact of the transaction and ensuring the clients’ employment and equity interests were protected and negotiating their terms following the same.
Advising two senior partners of a significant international partnership on contentious partnership exits.
Advising executives moving to a competitor on defending attempts by their previous employer to clawback bonuses that had been structured as a non-compete.

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