LawNet appoints new chair
Derek Rodgers, managing partner of major regional law firm Gardner Leader, has been elected as the new chair of LawNet’s member-led board.
He takes on the role as the SME law firm network announces continues sustained growth through its selective recruitment programme. Eight firms have joined in the past two years, bringing the membership to 73 firms across the UK.
Welcoming Derek Rodgers, chief executive Chris Marston explained the network’s strategy:
“We have always taken a selective approach to membership, with all firms having to commit to quality processes through our ISO 9001 Quality Standard, and to great client experience through our Excellence Mark. Our network is, first and foremost, a community, where progressive owner-managed firms can achieve more together than they could on their own.”
“The challenges of recent years have made the network more relevant than ever, and since the pandemic, we now have more interactions with more members, more often than ever before. Whether you’re a managing partner or a functional leader in a firm, your role can be a lonely one, and our supportive, collaborative peer group community is hugely valued by our members.”
Gardner Leader is 180-strong, with a turnover of nearly £12m and offices across the Thames Valley and London. The firm has been a member of LawNet since 1993 and Derek Rodgers has served on the LawNet board since 2016. Recognised by the Legal 500 as a leading firm and with leading individuals, it has a reputation for heavyweight commercial litigation and has recorded substantial growth across company and commercial, private and family work in recent years.
“It’s a great honour to take on the role of chair of LawNet and to follow in the footsteps of Kim Carr of FBC Manby Bowdler, who has led the network with such distinction over the last seven years. I am looking forward to working with Chris and his team on the selective growth of our network and finding new ways to foster the spirit of collaboration that binds us together,”
