Withers

Withers has long been one of London’s leading firms for private client and family law, acting initially for the landed gentry and latterly for celebrities and the super-rich. While this type of work tends to breed a rarified, old-school atmosphere, Withers has been commendably forward-thinking in its attitudes. It had the good sense to follow the wealth and go international relatively early.

A Milan office has been open for decades and the firm was actually one of the first large London firms to secure a US merger, with New Haven’s Bergman Horowitz & Reynolds in 2002. New offices in Geneva and Hong Kong followed in 2005 and 2008 respectively and the firm now has 17 offices globally and brands itself, ever so slightly irritatingly, as ‘Withersworldwide’.

While family law and private wealth are the backbone of Withers, its corporate department has been built up over the years and the firm elected a corporate lawyer as its chair for the first time in 2007: Milan office head Anthony Indaimo.

It has not all been plain sailing for the firm. In 2012/13 it saw profits drop, witnessed the exit of 10 partners including three heads of department and two US regional practice group heads, and issued a cash call to its equity partners.

The firm entered into merger talks with Speechly Bircham in 2013 but eventually decided against the tie-up (Speechlys would go on to merge with Charles Russell).

Withers has a strong female presence among the partnership. Diana Parker became the first female chair of a top 100 firm in 1999, while it has been led by managing director/CEO Margaret Robertson, a commercial litigator by background, since 2002. Geneva chief Justine Markovitz became chair in 2019.

	CEO	Chair
1999		Diana Parker
2002	Margaret Robertson
2006		Anthony Indaimo
2013		Ivan Sacks
2019		Justine Markovitz