Leigh Day announces 12 new partners

Leigh Day has revealed 12 significant partner promotions for 2025, showcasing the firm's dedication to talent development across various departments and locations including Leeds and Manchester.

Law firm Leigh Day has announced 12 new partner promotions for 2025, recognising the exceptional talent across all departments within the firm. The new partners span across the organisation’s human rights, personal injury, international group litigation, medical negligence and employment teams, as well as within the business services teams. This includes new partners in Leeds and Manchester, further building on Leigh Day’s presence in the north of England. The promotions are a reflection of the work undertaken by all the new partners throughout their time at Leigh Day, and reaffirms the firm’s commitment to developing talent internally.

In the human rights sector, Andrew Lord, Ricardo Gama, and Anna Crowther have been promoted. Andrew Lord works on abuse cases, representing individuals who have suffered abuse in schools, religious groups, youth groups and other institutions, supporting clients both in compensation claims and in applying for redress schemes. Ricardo Gama specialises in environmental and planning law, helping clients to hold public authorities to account in decisions which affect the environment, often via the judicial review process. Anna Crowther often works on international human rights cases and has worked on high profile claims including representing Iraqi civilians who allege they were unlawfully detained and mistreated by British forces during the Iraq war, and British military veterans who were exposed to a chemical warfare agent at Porton Down military laboratories.

Sophie Turner and Lucy Martin are newly promoted partners in international group litigation. Sophie Turner is experienced in cross-jurisdictional claims against both companies and states and has acted in numerous complex cases, representing individuals alleging grave human rights abuses and environmental harm against multinational companies. Lucy works on complex group litigation acting on behalf of both UK and international clients. She is currently acting for claimants in the Mercedes-Benz NOx emissions group litigation in Leigh Day’s role as joint lead solicitors, and in an environmental claim against a multinational company on behalf of a Malawian village.

The personal injury department sees promotions for Claire Spearpoint and David Preston. Claire Spearpoint works in the industrial disease team, acting on behalf of individuals who have been diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma, and their families. David Preston helps injured clients who have suffered brain injuries, amputations, spinal injuries or complex orthopaedic injuries, working quickly to secure rehabilitation to maximise their recovery. He also helps bereaved families secure justice and compensation following road deaths.

Promotions in the employment department include Liana Wood and Mandy Bhattal. Liana Wood works across a wide range of workplace disputes and discrimination claims relating to victimisation, harassment, whistleblowing and equal pay, acting on behalf of individuals and large groups of workers in multi-party claims. Mandy Bhattal also specialises in employment and discrimination litigation, working primarily on large multi-party claims relating to a number of areas including age, sex and race discrimination and equal pay.

In clinical negligence, Matthew Westlake has been promoted, bringing a background in neuroscience to his role in the firm’s Leeds office. His work covers a wide range of complex claims including obstetric, spinal, orthopaedic, ophthalmic and brain injuries, and he represents clients throughout the litigation process and at inquest.

Samantha Bisson and Caroline Ivison have been promoted in the business services teams. Samantha Bisson is the director of marketing and business development, overseeing the firm's marketing strategy including Leigh Day's recent brand refresh launched in 2024. Caroline Ivison based in Manchester, is Leigh Day’s head of communications, working across all departments to provide media relations support and to secure press coverage for the firm, while also leading the firm’s internal communications function.

Leigh Day is also pleased to announce the promotion of 11 lawyers to senior associate. This includes Rebecca Ridgeon, Stephen Clarkson, Lucy MacBrayne, Charlotte Pettman, James Husbands, Erin Alcock, Maya Grantham, Dhiran Solanki, Lauren Chaplin, Celine O’Donovan and Benji Gourgey.

Leigh Day managing partner Chris Benson said the appointing of new partners from within the firm is always a positive process, with the promotions recognising the talent and dedication of people who have contributed a great deal to the firm over the years. Our new partners have delivered excellent results for both clients and the firm, and are strong representatives of Leigh Day’s values. We look forward to seeing them continue to develop their areas of work and input into the growth of the firm. With the addition of our new group of senior associates this further strengthens the firm’s foundations for the future