Catherine succeeds Gerrard Tyrrell after a tenure of nearly 17 years as Senior Partner.
Widely regarded as one of the UK’s most revered family lawyers, Catherine joined the firm in 2017 to lead Harbottle & Lewis’s family team. Catherine’s practice encompasses the full spectrum of family law in instances of relationship breakdown and she is recognised for her work advising on the highest profile, highest value and most complex cases in the family courts, often faced by significant public and media scrutiny.
Catherine’s appointment follows the recent election of co-managing partners Charlie Leveque and Tony Littner in late 2023, with whom she will be working closely as part of the senior leadership team.
Charlie Leveque said:
“Catherine is an outstanding professional and rightly held in high regard by colleagues, clients and the wider professional community. Since joining the firm in 2017 Catherine has been instrumental in building our family offering, further enhancing our position as an adviser of choice for highly successful individuals, their families and their businesses. I know she will bring that same level of entrepreneurial drive, determination and commitment to excellence to the role of Senior Partner.
“On behalf of the whole firm I would like to congratulate Catherine on her election and we very much look forward to working with her and the wider leadership team to deliver on our long-term vision and ambition. I would also like to offer our thanks to Gerrard for his indelible contribution in the role of Senior Partner over the past 17 years – which has been a transformative period in our near 70-year history and has helped create the platform for success which we continue to build on together.”
Catherine Bedford commented:
“I am honoured to have been elected to represent the firm at what is an incredibly exciting period of growth and transformation. It is also a real point of pride to be the firm’s first female Senior Partner, which is both a milestone for us but also, I hope, a further indication of the progress that continues to be made in the profession more widely.
“Much of my practice is centred on supporting clients who are facing some of the most difficult times of their lives. I have always tried to apply the lessons learned from these and all my other professional experiences to create a working environment grounded in trust, mutual respect and fairness – which, I feel, are key in differentiating what we offer as a firm both to clients and to colleagues.
“Alongside our reconstituted leadership team, and strengthened business services team, I am focused on supporting our ongoing growth while championing these values and everything that makes Harbottle & Lewis unique, and the firm of choice for the best legal talent looking to do interesting work for interesting people.”
Tony advises on a wide range of corporate transactions, including investments and venture capital deals, buying and selling businesses and shareholder arrangements. Tony is widely recognised as one of the leading venture capital lawyers in the UK and is a trusted adviser to entrepreneurial businesses and to the investors in such businesses, with a particular focus on the technology, media and entertainment sectors.
Tony frequently advises emerging companies and the founders behind such companies on their full lifecycle from inception of an idea through to funding rounds, exit and beyond as well as the venture capital funds and investors that invest in such high growth businesses.
Tony is recognised as a "Leading Partner" by The Legal 500 and ranked by Chambers in venture capital work.
Outside of his management roles, Charlie advises on a wide range of corporate transactions from private and public mergers and acquisitions to investments, joint ventures, fundraisings and shareholder arrangements involving private equity, venture capital, family office and strategic parties. He has advised on a number of IPOs on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.
His clients comprise investors, funds and companies of all sizes, from startups to international corporations in a wide range of industries; he is particularly experienced in advising clients in the technology, media, entertainment, retail and leisure sectors. He is also passionate about advising entrepreneurs, accompanying them from the inception of their ideas to exit.
Charlie is a member of the British Screen Advisory Council and the EIS Association.