Taylor Wessing was originally Taylor Joynson Garrett, a London firm with core strengths of general commercial work and intellectual property. A 2002 merger with the German firm Wessing gave it its current name and was set against a backdrop of increasing international expansion, with the firm also adding offices in Spain, France and China around that time. Tim Eyles took over as managing partner from New Zealander Michael Frawley in 2009 and immediately introduced a change of tone at the
Taylor Wessing was originally Taylor Joynson Garrett, a London firm with core strengths of general commercial work and intellectual property. A 2002 merger with the German firm Wessing gave it its current name and was set against a backdrop of increasing international expansion, with the firm also adding offices in Spain, France and China around that time.
Tim Eyles took over as managing partner from New Zealander Michael Frawley in 2009 and immediately introduced a change of tone at the firm, abolishing dress-down Fridays. A rebrand followed in 2010 – against a backdrop of redundancies and salary cuts – but the move paid off. Under his leadership the firm has pushed on considerably, making a success of its mid-market position in a challenging environment.
Under Eyles, the firm grew its office numbers from 13 to 33. A combination with the Austrian-headquartered enwc in May 2012 added a host of new offices in Eastern Europe: Bratislava, Brno, Budapest, Kiev, Klagenfurt, Prague, Vienna and Warsaw. Its connection with Singaporean ally RHT in March of the same year bolted on a new office in that growing litigation hub.
More recently, the firm announced official associations in Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong. It also launched RHTLaw Taylor Wessing in Vietnam, which was formed through a merger with PBC Partners.
Taylor Wessing has gone the extra mile to embrace the technology sector, launching its own Tech City office on Old Street’s ‘Silicon Roundabout’. The idea was to foster relationships with some of the 1,300 start-ups in the area, so they grow with the firm.
In 2015 the firm moved to an all-equity partnership in the UK following a review of its merit-based equity structure, while maintaining a two-tier system outside of the country.
After nine years at the helm, Eyles was replaced by senior disputes lawyer Shane Gleghorn in October 2018.
| Appointed | Managing partner | Senior partner |
| 1997 | Richard Marsh | |
| 2004 | Michael Frawley | |
| 2005 | Martin Winter | |
| 2009 | Tim Eyles | |
| 2011 | Adam Marks | |
| 2017 | Dominic FitzPatrick | |
| 2018 | Shane Gleghorn |
TRAINING CONTRACTS
What is the trainee salary at Taylor Wessing?
1st year trainee: £40,000
2nd year trainee: £44,000
What is the NQ salary at Taylor Wessing?
NQ solicitor: £71,000
