Penningtons Manches Cooper has reappointed its chief executive officer after growing revenue 7% in the 2025 financial year to £120m.
Helen Drayton will begin her second three-year term at the helm of the UK firm 1 October. Penningtons said her re-election was unopposed and unanimously supported.
The firm’s latest results mark its 16th consecutive year of revenue growth. In FY25 it also grew profit 18.4% to £42m and profit per equity partner (PEP) by 25% to £555k.
“Our results reflect the power of a purposeful strategy,” Drayton commented. “By focusing on delivering meaningful outcomes for our clients and creating agile, collaborative environments for our people, we’re building a business that’s both high-performing and anchored in our ambition to be the most human law firm.”
Under Drayton’s leadership the firm has prioritised bringing together its offering across its four divisions: business services, dispute resolution, private individuals and real estate, concentrating on servicing clients in its core and growth sectors as well as internationally.
As part of its 2023-26 strategy Penningtons has launched a new key client programme, overhauled its associate training academy and revamped its UK offices with a focus on hybrid working and cross-team collaboration.
Since launching the strategy the 420-lawyer firm has added 23 partners through a combination of lateral hires and internal promotions, including Virginia Henley, who joined last October from Cambridge firm HCR Hewitsons to lead Penningtons’ charities team. Around the same time family law specialist Tom Amlot joined the private wealth group in London from boutique AFP Bloom and Patrick Slomski moved over from Clyde & Co to strengthen the firm’s capabilities in the aviation and aerospace sector.
Over the past year Penningtons has also boosted its international offering, including hiring two partners in Singapore from local heavyweights Rajah & Tann and WongPartnership to strengthen its shipping, commodities and trade finance offering after a three-member team left the office for Stephenson Harwood.
Last November the firm also opened a hub in the south of France, in Antibes, to give it direct access to the high-growth Mediterranean yacht sector and wider maritime industries. The firm now has seven UK offices alongside five international bases in Madrid, Paris, Piraeus and Singapore as well as Antibes.
Work highlights over the past financial year included successfully defending Swiss Re against significant reinsurance exposure in the Russian aviation insurance mega-trial heard in the High Court. The firm's London based shipping team also advised on the design, build and delivery of the world’s first ammonia marine duel-fuel supply system – a milestone in the sector’s decarbonisation efforts.
“We’ve laid the foundations – and now we’re accelerating,” Drayton said. “It’s a privilege to continue leading such a talented and ambitious team. I’m looking forward to helping shape the next chapter of our journey, really harnessing the successes of the last three years with a clear focus on what matters most to our clients and people.”
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