Leading independent law firm Travers Smith LLP is pleased to announce that Edmund Reed has been elected Managing Partner for a second term with effect from 1 July 2025. Edmund's second term will last three years.
Edmund was first elected Managing Partner on 1 July 2021, having been a partner in the firm's Private Equity & Financial Sponsors Group since 2005. He has had an active role in the management of the firm and the development of Travers Smith’s business strategy for over a decade, as an elected member of the Travers Smith Partnership Board since 2013.
Commenting on his re-appointment, Edmund Reed said:
"I am extremely proud of our firm and the way in which we have responded to a dynamic market to set a new course in the years since I have become Managing Partner, and I am delighted to have been re-elected for a second term.
As a partner group we are excited and ambitious for our future, focused first and foremost on delivering an outstanding service to our clients, alongside providing our people with a supportive and collaborative environment in which they can thrive. We continue to carefully nurture our culture to ensure we are a firm where people can achieve their highest professional ambitions without sacrificing their wellbeing, health and happiness.
We have already achieved a lot together, and we will build on this to be even more successful in the coming years."
Travers Smith’s Senior Partner Andy Gillen said:
“Edmund has done an outstanding job as Managing Partner over the last few years and I am delighted that he has been reappointed for a second term. The partners voted overwhelmingly in favour of an extended three-year term, which reflects the excellent job he has done to date, and the value we place in his leadership.
We have already made significant progress in driving our business forwards, with our recent improved financial performance testament to this, and I am excited to continue working closely together as we push on at pace, to meet our collective ambitions to be a leading law firm that thrives in our chosen markets."
Under Edmund's and more recently Andy's leadership, the firm has:
- Made a return to strong profitability despite a period of significant economic, geo-political and market turmoil, with record breaking results for FY23/24.
- Acted on over 175 private and public M&A transactions and over 30 equity capital markets transactions since 2021, and advised on just under 20% of all UK public bids made in 2023.
- Acted on over 120 private equity backed transactions since 2021 and grown its cross-practice Asset Management business by over 30% in the last three years.
- Acted on a number of high profile and complex Disputes and Investigations mandates including: (i) Hewlett Packard Enterprise on the 'tech trial of the century' relating to Hewlett Packard Enterprise on fraud claims amounting to US$4 billion arising out of the US$11 billion acquisition of Autonomy Corporation plc in late 2011, (ii) DAF Trucks in the defence of multiple damages claims brought before the English courts (both as individual claims and as collective proceedings) arising from the European Commission's Trucks decision and (iii) commissioned by the NatWest Group board to conduct an independent investigation into de-banking.
- Developed its client proposition with a number of strategic lateral hires, bolstered by internal partner and senior counsel promotions.
- Enhanced its people proposition with an updated and improved benefits platform, an upgraded bonus scheme allowing for more flexibility to reward exceptional performance, and the introduction of a number of new policies including the market leading Menopause Policy, the upgraded Speak Up policy and training programme, and the roll out of the Mindful Business Charter to all legal departments.
- Launched several market leading technology initiatives including a Cloud first strategy to migrate to Microsoft 365 and iManage Cloud, as well as a multi-award-winning AI strategy that resulted in the market's first open-source AI product (YCNBot).
- Introduced a number of innovative internal training programmes, including the award winning ESG and Sustainable Finance Academy, and more recently the AI Academy, open to the entire firm and featuring a number of mandatory modules, which will embed a deeper understanding of how AI can be used to enhance client engagement, increase productivity and boost efficiencies.
