Harbottle & Lewis today announces the appointment of Catherine Bedford as Senior Partner, with effect from Monday 1 April 2024.
Catherine succeeds Gerrard Tyrrell after a tenure of nearly 17 years as Senior Partner.
Widely regarded as one of the UK’s most revered family lawyers, Catherine joined the firm in 2017 to lead Harbottle & Lewis’s family team. Catherine’s practice encompasses the full spectrum of family law in instances of relationship breakdown and she is recognised for her work advising on the highest profile, highest value and most complex cases in the family courts, often faced by significant public and media scrutiny.
Catherine’s appointment follows the recent election of co-managing partners Charlie Leveque and Tony Littner in late 2023, with whom she will be working closely as part of the senior leadership team.
Charlie Leveque said:
“Catherine is an outstanding professional and rightly held in high regard by colleagues, clients and the wider professional community. Since joining the firm in 2017 Catherine has been instrumental in building our family offering, further enhancing our position as an adviser of choice for highly successful individuals, their families and their businesses. I know she will bring that same level of entrepreneurial drive, determination and commitment to excellence to the role of Senior Partner.
“On behalf of the whole firm I would like to congratulate Catherine on her election and we very much look forward to working with her and the wider leadership team to deliver on our long-term vision and ambition. I would also like to offer our thanks to Gerrard for his indelible contribution in the role of Senior Partner over the past 17 years – which has been a transformative period in our near 70-year history and has helped create the platform for success which we continue to build on together.”
Catherine Bedford commented:
“I am honoured to have been elected to represent the firm at what is an incredibly exciting period of growth and transformation. It is also a real point of pride to be the firm’s first female Senior Partner, which is both a milestone for us but also, I hope, a further indication of the progress that continues to be made in the profession more widely.
“Much of my practice is centred on supporting clients who are facing some of the most difficult times of their lives. I have always tried to apply the lessons learned from these and all my other professional experiences to create a working environment grounded in trust, mutual respect and fairness – which, I feel, are key in differentiating what we offer as a firm both to clients and to colleagues.
“Alongside our reconstituted leadership team, and strengthened business services team, I am focused on supporting our ongoing growth while championing these values and everything that makes Harbottle & Lewis unique, and the firm of choice for the best legal talent looking to do interesting work for interesting people.”
