Regional law firm Royds Withy King, which has an office in Swindon, has strengthened its business development and marketing team with three senior hires as it seeks to increase its profile and revenues through a new strategy based on industry sectors.
The arrival of Kevin Peake as director of business development, marketing and communications, along with Michael Cracknell as senior business development manager, and Natalie Birrell as head of marketing communications, follows a wider-reaching restructuring of the firm’s management functions.
This has also resulted in the appointment of the Bath-headquartered firm’s first operations director, a new head of risk and best practice, and a non-executive chair to the board.
The full-service firm, which employs 480 people, is now looking to raise the profile of its work in its key sectors of retail, leisure & hospitality; healthcare & social care; technology, media & telecommunications; life sciences and banking & finance, as well as with charities and not-for-profit organisations.
Kevin Peake joined this week from national law firm Irwin Mitchell, where he was group sales & marketing director. He brings a strong track record in transforming professional and financial services brands, having also previously led the marketing functions at Clifton Asset Management, Npower, Aviva, Abbey National and TSB.
Michael Cracknell has a 16-year track record in the professional services sector having recently worked at accountancy firms Mazars, PwC and Baker Tilly (now RSM) and law firms Bird & Bird, DLA Piper and Eversheds.
Natalie Birrell, a former newspaper journalist, previously worked for a number of West of England PR agencies and, more recently, led her own PR consultancy advising professional services firms.
Kevin said: “I am impressed by the ambition of Royds Withy King and its plans. The legal market continues to change and there is huge potential to grow and be a genuine client-focused provider that can innovate around clients’ changing needs.”
Royds Withy King managing partner Graham Street said: “We are delighted to have recruited such experienced business development and marketing talent into the firm. We have a strong story to tell with high-profile clients and a great breadth of legal expertise across our business, private client, personal injury and medical negligence practices.
“The team’s initial focus will be on developing our profiles in the industry sectors where we already have strong relationships and a proven track record.
“Following our merger with Royds, we are now in an excellent position to build our sector strategy and develop our national brand in a way that brings even greater value to our clients.”
The merger in September 2016 significantly bolstered the firm’s retail property, commercial litigation, corporate and commercial, banking, employment, family and private client practices.
The firm’s business restructuring programme, which began last year with the creation of a dedicated operations department spearheaded by the firm’s first director of operations Jessica Burston and a newly-recruited head of risk and best practice, Emma Palmer.
In September the firm appointed management consultant and former Barclays South West head of professional services Louise Fleming as its first external non-executive chair.
Regional lead partners for each of the firm’s major offices were also appointed from within the business. As well as Swindon and Bath, it also has offices in London and Oxford.
Pictured, from left: Michael Cracknell, Natalie Birrell, Kevin Peake and Graham Street
