Kent law firm Thomson Snell & Passmore has appointed Richard Ellard as its new senior partner, who will take on the role from June 2026 in line with the new financial year.
Richard joined Thomson Snell & Passmore in 2006 and was appointed head of the firm’s real estate department in 2014.
Sarah Easton, who has been at the firm since 2010, will become head of the real estate department from June.
Richard’s appointment comes as Joanna Pratt, who has held the role since 2020, reaches the end of her final term. She will continue to contribute to the success of the firm as head of the family department.
As senior partner for six years, Joanna guided the firm through a period of unprecedented change, taking it from 250 people and a fee income of £22m, to over 315 people and a fee income of £33m.
Joanna said: “It has been a huge privilege to lead the firm over the past six years and I am immensely proud of everything we have achieved together.
“As a firm, we often talk about our ability to anticipate and successfully adapt to change, and there has certainly been plenty of change since I became senior partner in 2020.
“In that time, we weathered a global pandemic, which brought about completely new ways of working, settled into our new office, responded to changing client needs and dealt with economic upheaval and regulatory change.
“We also grew and thrived, achieving a 12th consecutive year of growth last June. This is something to be celebrated and would not have been possible without the exceptional work of everyone across the firm and our positive culture.
“I am so pleased that Richard will be the firm’s new senior partner from June and have no doubt that he will do an excellent job in leading the firm into its next chapter.”
Richard added: “I speak for everyone at the firm as we thank Joanna for her hard work and dedication over the last six years. I know she will continue to play an important role in the future of the firm.
“I am thrilled to have been appointed as senior partner. The business of running a law firm is changing rapidly, with continued consolidation across the market. We see firms merging or being taken over and others selling to private equity funds.
“I feel strongly that as a strong, independent law firm, our focus on recruiting and retaining the best people and delivering excellent client service means we are well placed to continue to evolve and thrive.
“I am excited about what the future holds and look forward to leading the firm into the next phase of its growth.”
