Brabners adds six to partnership in record year for partner promotions

We've announced our largest-ever round of Partner promotions, with six lawyers joining the partnership following another year of sustained growth.

A total of 36 colleagues have been promoted across the firm, with Daniel Finn, Deepika Raino, Ellen Hawthorne, Hannah Morrison, Mark Gannon and Oliver Andrews joining our 108-strong partnership.

The six new Partners strengthen our corporate, regulatory, housing, employment and litigation teams. Their careers reflect a variety of routes into the partnership, from colleagues who've trained and progressed with us to those who've joined or returned later in their careers.

Strengthening our legal teams

Daniel Finn becomes a Partner in our corporate team, having joined us as a trainee solicitor in 2014. He advises on a broad range of transactional and advisory matters and has played an important role in growing one of the UK's most active employee ownership trust practices, while also helping to develop new workstreams in the brewery and hospitality sectors.

Ellen Hawthorne and Mark Gannon have both been promoted within our housing team. Ellen is a member of the housing development team and supports housebuilders on a wide range of matters. She re-joined us in 2022, having previously completed her training contract with us between 2010 and 2012.

Mark joined us in 2018 and specialises in housing litigation, advising registered providers on housing management issues and residential leasehold management matters.

Hannah Morrison joins the partnership in our employment, pensions and immigration team. Another former trainee, she's built a strong reputation for her specialist work in the recruitment and workforce solutions sector.

Deepika Raino has been promoted to Partner in our regulatory and professional conduct team. She joined us in 2023, bringing significant experience in professional conduct and disciplinary matters. She advises individuals and organisations engaging with regulatory bodies across sectors including health, social care, professional services and sport.

Oliver Andrews joins the partnership in our litigation team. Since joining us in 2013, he's developed particular expertise in shareholder and corporate disputes. He also advises clients in the professional services sector — including law firms — and is helping to grow our pensions litigation offering.

Celebrating achievements across the firm

Within the wider cohort of promotions, ten colleagues have been promoted to Associate, 12 to Senior Associate and three to Legal Director, as well as five more promotions in the firm’s support and enabling teams. 

Continuing to invest in senior talent

As part of a broader investment in senior talent, Partner Ruth Hargreaves has been appointed as our Head of Corporate following another strong year for the team, during which we advised on more than £762m worth of deals.

Over the past year, we've also welcomed nine Partners through lateral hires, including recent appointments in our real estate and insolvency and restructuring teams.

Hear from our leadership

Nik White, Managing Partner, said: “Our continued growth is built on the talent, commitment and ambition of our people. This latest round marks a record year for Partner promotions and reflects the strength of the colleagues who are developing and progressing across the business.

Daniel, Deepika, Ellen, Hannah, Mark and Oliver have each made an outstanding contribution to the firm, our clients and their teams. Their progression is a reflection of the expertise and reputation that they’ve built, the trust that they’ve earned and the role that they’ll play in the next phase of our growth."

Looking ahead

As we continue to invest in our national platform — including the launch of our London office — developing our own talent and creating clear opportunities for progression has never been more important. This year’s promotions demonstrate the quality of the career pathways that we’re building for our people, alongside the strength of our culture and depth of expertise across the firm.

The announcement comes during a particularly positive period for us. We've reported record revenues and achieved a ninth consecutive year of profitable growth. We’ve also retained our B Corp certification and set out a roadmap to achieve net zero by 2040.

Talk to us by calling 0333 004 4488 or emailing hello@brabners.com.