Birmingham-based firm Martineau Johnson has a new senior partner, electing head of funds and growth companies Roger Blears to the role.
Blears takes over from incumbent Hugh Carslake on 1 January 2007, who stands down after three years in the role. Blears will now work alongside managing partner William Barker, overseeing strategy for the next three years.
As well as pursuing expansion, Blears will also seek to improve Martineau Johnson’s turnover, which inched up just 0.5 per cent last financial year to hit £19.3m, up from £19.2m in 2004-05.
Average profit per equity partner (PEP) also rose by 12.5 per cent during the same period, hitting £190,000 after 2004-05’s £180,000. However, sources close to the firm claim that without two rent-free periods from landlords Allied Irish Private Banking, worth £3.7m in total, this year’s PEP would have been closer to £160,000.
Blears will also working to develop a new client care programme, and to boost staff cohesion.
Carslake commented: “Roger has been very involved in the corporate side of firm and of course we are a corporate firm.
“I was elected three years ago and my aim at that time was to oversee the firm’s move to Colmore Square and to help embed William Barker, the new managing partner at the time. I never intended to be senior partner for a great length of time, and decided not to stand again.”
Blears has been a partner at Martineaus for 17 years, and in 2000 was responsible for the firm’s ‘Go4dosh’ website aimed at matching high-tech entrepreneurs with venture capitalists.
