Lewis Silkin has announced that employment partner Richard Miskella and IP and advertising law specialist Jo Farmer will serve as its next joint managing partners. 

The duo will begin their three-year terms on 1 April; Miskella has been re-elected for a second term, having served as joint managing partner since the role was created in 2019. 

Meantime Farmer will succeed Giles Crown, who served alongside Miskella between 2019 and 2023 but did not stand for re-election and will return to practice after stepping down. 

Miskella has been a partner at Lewis Silkin since 2009, having joined the firm seven years earlier from Linklaters.

His employment law practice focuses on the the media, professional services and financial services industries – including advising both companies and senior executives on issues ranging from corporate projects to litigation in the High Court and employment tribunals.

Before being elected as joint managing partner he served as divisional managing partner for Lewis Silkin’s employment, immigration and reward division. 

Farmer is also a veteran of Lewis Silkin, which she joined in 2003 after a stint in the Sydney office of Baker & McKenzie.

She has served in various leadership roles during her time at the firm, including head of brands and IP and most recently as co-head of the firm’s digital, commerce and creative team. She advises brand owners, agencies and media owners on commercial agreements, copy clearance, regulatory issues, media buying and digital content and is noted by legal directory Chambers and Partners for her expertise in social media advertising. 

“I am very pleased to confirm the unanimous election of Jo and Richard to joint managing partner,” said Jo Evans, who last year became the first woman elected to be chair of the partnership at Lewis Silkin. 

Evans said that alongside Crown, Miskella had “spearheaded the firm through a transformative period of substantial growth” during his first term as managing partner that saw it launch in Belfast and Manchester and add around 20 partners through a combination of lateral hires and internal promotions.

The firm now has upwards of 75 partners across its network of offices in London, Oxford, Cardiff, Manchester, Belfast, Dublin and Hong Kong. 

Last year the firm also announced plans to move its London headquarters from Chancery Lane to the Arbor building in the Bankside Yards development, which the firm touted at the time for its environmentally friendly credentials. 

“It is incredibly exciting to have Jo jointly at the helm with Richard as we continue to evolve our firm," Evans said. "Her experience, insight and energy will bring huge value to the leadership team and to the firm. I would also like to offer thanks to Giles for his service and guidance over the past years as he steps down from the role of joint managing partner.”

Crown will return to his IP, media and regulatory practice after stepping down, with the firm saying he would also focus on strategy development. 

Lewis Silkin created the joint managing partner roles in 2019 after axing the chief executive position held by Ian Jeffery, who now serves as chief executive of The Law Society. 

The firm said at the time the new managing partner roles were in line with its business strategy to focus on its core markets of creators, makers and innovators - supporting creative, innovative and brand-focused businesses; and employment, immigration and reward - supporting the HR legal and related needs of major UK and international businesses.