Acuity Law Senior Management Team Expanded for Future UK Growth and Success
ACUITY Law has expanded its senior management team to drive further UK growth and innovation into 2024 and beyond.
The firm has seen significant growth in 2023, attracting more than 40 colleagues to the business, and continued expansion across the UK.
Employment partner Claire Knowles has been appointed as managing partner, while the firm’s founder and chairman Steve Berry will retain the role of chair and will focus on group growth through acquisitions and client relationships.
Further changes will see senior partners Gareth Baker, Aisha Wardell, Hugh Hitchcock, Beverley Jones and Jon Lawley take on strategic roles, driving key areas of the business.
Gareth, a highly regarded Real Estate lawyer will lead Acuity’s firmwide real estate, real estate finance and construction services. The award-winning services span all seven offices and are a linchpin of the business’ broader commercial offering.
Aisha will lead Acuity’s notable commercial litigation and dispute resolution service which includes more than 20 specialist litigators across the firm’s Cardiff, Swansea, London, Leeds and Liverpool offices.
Litigation expert Hugh Hitchcock will focus on the strategic growth of all litigation and dispute resolution services including property, probate and construction litigation services. The last 12 months has seen Acuity Law recognised as a top tier practice for dispute resolution work, and it aims to build further on that accolade.
Corporate healthcare partners Beverley and Jon will lead and develop Acuity’s healthcare teams, focusing on finance and M&A work across a range of healthcare markets. Following the acquisition of a boutique dental firm in 2022, the success of the firm’s healthcare expertise has seen the firm boast the largest corporate dental team in the UK, as well as attracting industry renowned social care regulatory lawyer Jenny Wilde to the team. Their UK reach is an exciting development which will be an essential focus for the business in 2024.
Steve Berry said: “Acuity Law has achieved huge growth and development in recent years, doubling in size in the past five years.
“We have seen the number of offices increase to seven, the latest being our office in Birmingham; our headcount now exceeds 150; and we continue to innovate with new services and technology, such as our automated document service (Document Assist) and our Healthcare Hub, which offers our healthcare clients quick and effective access to know-how and our specialist lawyers.
“We have identified many opportunities to continue this growth through innovation and acquisition, and succession planning plays a key role in achieving this.
“Now is the right time for me to give that overarching management responsibility to someone else, and I am delighted that that person is Claire Knowles, an outstanding lawyer in her own right. Claire will work closely with our executive management team, who have responsibility for day-to-day management.”
Claire Knowles said: “I am delighted to be given the role of Acuity Law’s managing partner. Acuity Law finds itself in an outstanding position with a talented team of lawyers and support colleagues across all levels and a culture where hard work is rewarded.
“The legal sector faces many challenges, and indeed many firms are fairly stagnant at the moment. It will be my responsibility to ensure Acuity Law not only navigates those challenges, but continues to develop, grow and innovate to maintain our status as a leading law firm, and one where our staff enjoy working and are excited by our successes.
“I would like to thank Steve and the wider team for their support and mentorship, and I look forward to helping to drive Acuity Law to even greater levels of success in the coming years.”
