Lewis Silkin has today announced that employment partner and Strategy Board member with responsibility for DE&I and Responsible Business, Lucy Lewis, has been elected as the new Chair of the Partnership, effective 1 April 2025.
Lucy joined Lewis Silkin in 2002, became a partner in 2009 while on maternity leave, and has been head of the firm's Cardiff office since it opened in 2012. A highly experienced employment lawyer, she is known for successfully defending a number of complicated discrimination cases, and is a regular contributor to Lewis Silkin's Future of Work hub, which helps clients prepare and adapt to the changing world of work.
In her role as DE&I and Responsible Business lead for the firm's Strategy Board, Lucy has overseen the development and delivery of the firm's strategy in these areas, including promoting visibility and recognition across all Lewis Silkin's employee resource groups (Age, Disability, Gender, Interfaith, LGBTQ+, Race & Ethnicity, Social Mobility, and Wellbeing). Recent initiatives she has helped lead have included the introduction (in April 2024) of a trailblazing parental leave policy, under which all new parents - irrespective of role or gender – are eligible for a full twelve months' leave and six months' full pay. The policy allows the paid parental leave to be taken at any point over the 12-month period, enabling and encouraging men to be the primary caregiver to their baby when their partner returns to work.
Lucy will take over the role of Chair from corporate partner Jo Evans.
Under the stewardship of Jo – who has served as Chair of the Partnership since April 2022 – Lewis Silkin has undergone a period of strategic investment and growth as the firm opened new offices in Manchester and Leeds, and increased the number of partners from 74 to 86. Jo is retiring from legal practice after more than 30 years at Lewis Silkin.
Lucy Lewis, Chair-elect at Lewis Silkin, said:
"Having been part of the firm's growth and development for more than 20 years, I can say that Lewis Silkin is a brilliant place to work. I am extremely proud to take on the role of Chair of the Partnership, and to have the opportunity to build on Jo Evans' achievements. It will be an honour to help lead a firm that is committed to putting its culture at the heart of its strategy, in order to deliver better outcomes for clients and make a positive contribution to society. I am looking forward to using my role to challenge ourselves further and build on what we've already achieved."
Jo Farmer, Joint Managing Partner at Lewis Silkin, said:
"I am immensely grateful to Jo for all she has accomplished during her tenure as Chair. She is someone who embodies our ethos of 'bravery and kindness', and her leadership over the past three years has been crucial to our growth and the strengthening of our firm's culture. She is also quite simply a fabulous person to have around and we will really miss her greatly. Lucy is an exceptional lawyer and a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, and I have no doubt she will excel in her new role. We are all very excited to work with her as she takes up this new challenge."