Thomson Snell & Passmore names new senior partner

Law firm Thomson Snell & Passmore, based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, has appointed Richard Ellard as its new senior partner, with the role taking effect from June 2026.

Richard, who joined the firm in 2006, currently leads the real estate department and has held the position of head of department since 2014.

He will succeed Joanna Pratt, who has served as senior partner since 2020 and will continue at the firm as head of the family department.

During Joanna’s six-year tenure as senior partner, the firm grew from around 250 people with fee income of £22 million to more than 315 employees and fee income of £33 million.

Richard said: “I speak for everyone at the firm as we thank Joanna for her hard work and dedication over the last six years. 

“I know she will continue to play an important role in the future of the firm. 

“I am thrilled to have been appointed as senior partner. 

“The business of running a law firm is changing rapidly, with continued consolidation across the market. 

“We see firms merging or being taken over and others selling to private equity funds. 

“I feel strongly that as a strong, independent law firm, our focus on recruiting and retaining the best people and delivering excellent client service, means we are well placed to continue to evolve and thrive. 

“I am excited about what the future holds and look forward to leading the firm into the next phase of its growth.”

Joanna added: “It has been a huge privilege to lead the firm over the past six years and I am immensely proud of everything we have achieved together. 

“As a firm, we often talk about our ability to anticipate and successfully adapt to change, and there has certainly been plenty of change since I became senior partner in 2020. 

“In that time we weathered a global pandemic, which brought about completely new ways of working, settled into our new office, responded to changing client needs and dealt with economic upheaval and regulatory change. 

“We also grew and thrived, achieving a 12th consecutive year of growth last June. 

“This is something to be celebrated and would not have been possible without the exceptional work of everyone across the firm and our positive culture. 

“I am so pleased that Richard will be the firm’s new senior partner from June and have no doubt that he will do an excellent job in leading the firm into its next chapter.”

As part of the leadership change, Sarah Easton will become head of the real estate department from June. 

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