National law firm Foot Anstey announces five Partner promotions

National law firm Foot Anstey is pleased to kickstart the new financial year with five Partner promotions, bolstering its client offering and sector expertise across multiple practice specialisms.

Those stepping into new positions 1 May are:

Kee Evans in the Transactional Property team. Kee has been working with a variety of both public and private sector clients including major housebuilders, banks and utilities companies. She has also worked extensively in the clean energy and transport sectors; advising clients on consents and permissions required for energy and infrastructure projects, managing planning appeals and issues of environmental liability.

Felix Hebblethwaite in the Professional Teams. Felix oversees the HR function and leads on the recruitment and retention of high quality talent which is central to ensuring the successful delivery of the firm's strategy and its ambitious growth agenda.

Nathalie Ingles in the Commercial & Employment team. Nathalie has considerable experience in advising employers – including major retailers - on a diverse range of contentious and non-contentious employment matters. She is also a member of the Firm’s core Retailers Against Harassment team, and frequently advises the firm’s retail clients in respect of their anti-harassment procedures and practices.

Toby Larkham in the Corporate & Finance team. Toby has significant experience in advising clients on a range of banking and finance transactions, with a particular focus on real estate debt work. He is also experienced in the intricacies of cross-border transactions, too, having acted extensively for the main clearing banks and various private lenders/borrowers.

Yanthé Richardson in the MLS & Conveyancing team. Harnessing her extensive experience in advising on all aspects of residential property, with a particular specialism in all things new build, Yanthé has a keen interest in the role that technology can play in improving the home buying and selling process. She also leads on projects developing the operational direction of the team, utilising her 20+ years of legal experience to deliver on commercial and innovative approach.

These promotions are the latest development in their ambitious period of growth, having already welcomed new CFO Brian Johnson late last year, and four key lateral hires this year.

James Clark, Melanie McGuirk and Hayley Steel joined in January, and Holly Henderson in February. These appointments not only expanded their client offering, but also have since played a part in the firm’s regional and national offering – bolstering both their Manchester office and Guildford hub.

Thanks to these strategic efforts, Foot Anstey has also been reaping rewards with a steady growth in revenue; seeing 10% increase in 2024, finishing the financial year at £64m. It hopes to continue this success with more growth by year-end 2025.

Commenting on the promotions, Managing Partner Martin Hirst said: “As a firm, we pride ourselves in having teams comprised of top tier talent, and it is always a privilege to rightfully recognise this, supporting individuals to take the next step in their careers.

“Foot Anstey is made up of a diverse range of expertise and sector specialisms, and we will continue to work together to further bolster all areas of our offerings, for the benefit of both clients and our teams.

“Many congratulations to Toby, Kee, Yanthé, Nathalie and Felix – we look forward to sharing more successes together.”

The firm has also redesigned its legal career structure to ensure it attracts and retains individuals who are motivated by ambitious high-quality growth. The new structure includes a senior role of Principal Director, alongside their traditional Legal Director role, which is centred around business growth and is designed as a talent pipeline into partnership. Foot Anstey hopes that the introduction of this role will lead to exciting career opportunities for ambitious lawyers who are focused on growing their client relationships and their practice.