National law firm Ashfords, which has an office in Bristol, has promoted six senior associates and legal directors to partner, four of whom started their careers at the firm as trainees.
The move takes the number of partners at the firm to 73 across its five UK offices. 
And with women making up more than two-thirds of this year’s promotions, the gender balance at partner level is better than ever before.
The partner promotions, which take effect from 1 September, include Su Apps in the employment team, Kirsty Cooke (employment and immigration), Jonathan Croley (commercial and energy & resource management), Laura Reeve (construction & infrastructure), Crispin Jones (insolvency & restructuring) and Katie Webber (trusts & estates).
The firm has also promoted five new associates and six new senior associates.
Ashfords CEO and partner Louise Workman said the promotions demonstrated a commitment to continued growth and investment in the firm and its clients.
“Importantly, they represent what clients look for when they instruct Ashfords – a responsive and accessible legal team that cares as much as they do about getting the right result,” she added.
The firm has continued to focus on growth, investing in its people and delivering an outstanding experience for clients.
In the past year, it has been recognised as one of 2021’s most active corporate legal advisers in the South West and in the UK top 20 – a position it maintained in the first quarter of 2022.
The firm has also attracted a number of senior lateral hires including most recently partners Ian Manners, who joined from DAC Beachcroft to lead its business risk & regulation team, and Carl Thompson, who arrived from Osborne Clarke to expand its work in the clean energy sector.
At the same time it has completed a major refurbishment of its Bristol office, adding extra space with a new waterside client suite at Tower Wharf while work areas have been redesigned to support the firm’s shift to flexible hybrid working.
Ashfords employs around 500 people across its offices in Bristol, Exeter, London, Taunton and Plymouth.
