Boyes Turner announces new partner promotions

Boyes Turner has announced four partner promotions as it continues to build on its ambitious growth plans as a leading full-service Thames Valley law firm. The promotions span the firm’s commercial and private client practices. Sophie Payne has been promoted to partner in Boyes Turner’s Corporate team, after joining as a trainee solicitor in 2011. She has established her expertise in largescale M&A transactions and has spearheaded the firm’s technical investment and re-organisation specialism, enhancing the team’s ability to manage multiple deals and reinforcing its stature in the South-East’s mid-market deal space.

Rachael Allison joins the partner ranks after her tenure with Boyes Turner’s Special Educational Needs (SEN) team, which she joined in 2018. Rachael has taken an active role in developing services aimed at widening accessibility for children and young adults with learning disabilities. Her strong connections with schools across the South-East and London, as well as various charities, have contributed significantly to the team's expansion over the past decade.

Sue Clark has been elevated to partner within the firm’s nationally recognised Court of Protection (COP) team. The team focuses on supporting vulnerable individuals with crucial decisions regarding money, property, health, and welfare. As a Director of the Boyes Turner Trust Corporation Limited, Sue has substantially influenced the recruitment and management of the team, currently supervising ten members, ensuring that they provide excellent service to their clients.

James Pantling-Skeet, who joined the firm in March 2022, has also been promoted to partner. He has successfully established a niche Community Care and Welfare practice from the ground up. James and his specialist team offer advice on accessing education, health, and social care support while challenging public body decisions. He also collaborates with the firm’s COP and SEN teams, broadening the services available to a growing array of family, clinical negligence, and personal injury clients.

Additionally, Lauren Ainsley has been promoted to senior associate. Lauren's expertise lies in residential development, covering site acquisitions and disposals, development finance, and land promotion. She works with a diverse array of developers and private landowners while also advising lenders on development finance. Lauren plays a crucial role in enhancing the team’s existing property and construction client base and is dedicated to mentoring younger colleagues.

Barry Stanton, Managing Partner at Boyes Turner, remarked “Nurturing and developing home-grown talent is a strength that Boyes Turner is proud of. We are deeply invested in the success of our people, and this latest series of promotions shows how critical fostering and supporting career paths is to our culture and future as a firm. Each one of our new partners will play a critical role in Boyes Turner’s ambitious growth plans and I’m looking forward to working closely with them.”

These promotions come on the heels of strategic senior hiring at Boyes Turner in 2025, which includes the addition of Duncan Kay as partner in the corporate team, Emily Neale as partner and Head of Residential Property, and Matt Briggs as partner in the Private Wealth team.