Charles Russell Speechlys has promoted nine to partner in its 2026 promotions round, a slight drop from the 12 that made the cut last year.
Women accounted for six of this year’s promotions, the same as 2025, with five UK-based partners, two in France and two in Italy. By contrast in 2025, 11 partners were promoted across the firm’s UK offices, with just one partner promoted in Paris. This year also sees the first promotions for the Milan office since opening in 2024.
Six of the new partners work in the private client team, all with multi-jurisdictional practices, including tax advice, wealth planning and complementary contentious and non-contentious aspects. Clients are typically based in the UK, US and Middle East holding assets in France, Italy, the UK and further afield, including Africa and offshore, as well as assisting landed estate owners.
The remaining partners span employment, dispute resolution and corporate. They all have a primarily commercial accent, as well as an additional focus on advising high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and closely held family businesses.
The firm announced the partner promotions alongside six legal director and 18 senior associate promotions.
Its legal director promotions spanned construction and engineering, corporate restructuring and insolvency, IP litigation, commercial disputes and private wealth management disputes. All of those promoted were from the UK, with women making up five of the six promotions.
Bart Peerless, senior partner at Charles Russell Speechlys, said: “With 33 promotions across the firm, including nine new partners, and many across our international offices, I am confident that these individuals will make a significant contribution to the achievement of our private capital strategic objectives in the coming years.”
The EU promotions mirror recent lateral activity elsewhere, following the appointment of Luca Beffa as a partner to lead its arbitration practice in Geneva. Beffa joined from Baker McKenzie, where he co‑headed the disputes group, bringing extensive experience in international arbitration and cross‑border litigation.
The Swiss office also added Frédéric Ney as a tax partner in March from Bär & Karrer, strengthening the firm’s Swiss tax and cross‑border private-client offering.
It also appointed Marguerite Brac de La Perrière as its first ever IT, data and AI partner in Paris. She joined from Fieldfisher, where she headed the Paris digital practice. Lateral exits have been rare, with London director of innovation Joe Cohen leaving earlier this year and litigator Peter Brabant leaving the Sydney office to join K&L Gates.
The firm also announced several new appointments to head of group roles. One was made in IP litigation, headed by 2025 lateral-hire partner Robert Lundie Smith. Private client saw two leadership appointments; one in family, where Jamie Kennaugh now heads the group, and another in private property, led by Naomi Nettleton. The real estate team will also be led by Louise Ward.
Peerless concluded: “These promotions reflect the hard work of these candidates over many years, and the firm’s commitment to and investment in our home-grown talent.”
Charles Russell Speechlys grew its revenue 11% in the year to 30 April 2025 to £242.3m, fuelled by the expansion of its private capital strategy.
The full list of promoted partners:
Giovanni Angelini – Private Client – Italy
Sarah Bergougnoux – Private Client – France
Gabriele Colombaioni – Private Client – UK
Isobel Edwards – Private Client – UK
Auberi Foy – Employment – France
Mary Perham – Private Client – UK
Ed Robinson – Corporate – UK
Alix Taquet – Private Client – France
Rachel Warren – Commercial Dispute Resolution – UK
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