Simon Tolson
I must start with an important reflection upon our dear partner and colleague, Jon Miller, who we lost on 2 September 2024. Jon was an extremely talented lawyer, friend and a key mentor to many trainees and junior lawyers in the firm and is very sadly missed.
We extend our sincerest condolences to Jon’s wife, Eve, and daughter, Chloe. Many of you attended either Jon’s funeral, which was an extraordinarily uplifting celebration of Jon’s life, or the Memorial Service, which was held on 26 November 2024 at the Temple Church in dedication to Jon.
Changing of the guard
As already announced, at the end of next March 2025, I stand down as senior partner. We are all delighted Karen Gidwani will take on this roll; I wish Karen every success and know she will be simply excellent in leading the firm into its next phase. Tony Francis and Richard Smellie will remain in their senior positions alongside Karen.
I myself will also continue to be a partner from April 2025 for the next couple of years; such is my love for what I do and this fabulous firm.
Karen Gidwani
It is an honour to have been given the opportunity to take the role of senior partner in the firm, and I am excited and looking forward to leading and working with our incredibly talented team across London and Dubai to continue our growth, excellence and development of talent.
I am exceptionally proud of the firm and its culture and what it has achieved, and am keen to continue that going forwards. When I joined Fenwick Elliott, we were one-third of the size that we are now and based only in London. In the past 24 years I have seen the firm grow and go from strength to strength under the guidance and leadership of Simon as well as the strong and supportive senior management team.
Simon has been an exemplary leader of Fenwick Elliott and will always be a hugely respected and admired member of the firm, the legal profession and
the construction & energy industries.
I can only thank him for his boundless energy in making Fenwick Elliott what it is today and I am delighted that he will continue as a partner at Fenwick Elliott. I know that everyone associated with the firm will benefit from his experience and expertise.
Looking to the future, the legal world is changing, particularly in the sphere of AI and assistive technology. It has always been the Fenwick Elliott way to innovate, and this area is no exception. I am particularly looking forward to working with our Head of Innovation & Technology, Dr Stacy Sinclair, and our clients to develop solutions in this field.
Fenwick Elliott has many strengths, and we remain the go-to law firm for construction & energy law and international arbitration. We also strive to provide the highest quality thought leadership and it is therefore with great pleasure that I am also able to introduce this year’s Annual Review, which as ever contains contributions from across the firm. These cover a diverse range of topics from the impact of ESG strategies on the construction industry to alleged fraud in adjudication to the old chestnut of unforeseen ground conditions and, of course, a round-up of the most important cases reported in the last year.
Enjoy reading!
