Senior clerks leave in Hardwicke restructure
Hardwicke Building has parted company with its two senior clerks after the set radically overhauled its structure into client divisions.
Amanda Illing
The set is aiming to break into The Lawyer’s list of top 20 sets by turnover within five years and in May brought in Matrix Chambers practice director Amanda Illing to implement the new structure (The Lawyer, 11 May).
Senior clerks were told their positions would be replaced with senior practice director roles and they would have to reapply for their jobs.
Senior clerks Danny O’Brien and Kevin Mitchell have parted from the set, with O’Brien taking up the senior clerk role at Arden Chambers. Mitchell is yet to re-emerge at another set.
Hardwicke has since moved the pair’s respective junior clerks up the ranks. Daniel Kemp, junior to O’Brien, has been appointed as public law senior practice manager and Paul Horsfield, junior to Mitchell, has taken up the property and private client role.
O’Brien said his move to Arden was “opportunistic”.
“Arden Chambers has a fantastic national reputation, particularly as a specialist housing and local government set,” he said.
Meanwhile, barrister John Passmore has left Hardwicke to join Quadrant Chambers. Quadrant chief executive Tim Gerrard said: “He has a very successful practice, his specialist area [insurance and marine] are right in the sweet spot of our offering.”
Hardwicke chief executive Anne Buxton said the set continued to expand, most recently adding Hill Dickinson’s former head of advocacy Sarah Venn and clinical negligence barrister Kevin Have from Chichester-based Pallant Chambers.
Readers' comments (6)
Anonymous | 30-Sep-2009 9:51 am
If Hardwicke Bldg's aim is to break into the Lawyers top 20, getting rid of their senior clerks suggest that they havent a clue what they are doing. We'll see in 5 years time.
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Anonymous | 1-Oct-2009 10:56 am
Anyone who's ever met the formidable Amanda Illing will understand she knows EXACTLY what she's doing. I have no doubt that she will make sure they do reach those goals, about which they were serious enough to remove the old guard of clerks. Just watch this space!
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Anonymous | 2-Oct-2009 2:16 pm
The comment above that "getting rid of their senior clerks suggest that they havent a clue what they are doing" reflects precisely the atttitude that defines 'medicristan' (per Black Swan) and puts one in mind of the fact that the thing about turkeys is that they don't know Christmas is coming. Hardwicke are only doing what even those who know what needs doing and yet dare only whisper about.
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Anonymous | 9-Oct-2009 12:33 pm
Having seen what happened at her previous chambers, I suspect Amanda Illing does know exactly what she's doing! I fully expect Hardwicke to go from strength to strength, they got a real catch there.
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Anonymous | 10-Oct-2009 8:23 pm
Hardwicke's gain is Matrix's loss! The other sets need to look out - Hardwicke have got a star.
The real question is what Matrix can do to avoid sinking into mediocracy...
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Anonymous | 18-Feb-2010 10:13 pm
Its not the job title but what people do that is important. Good clerks are hard to find.
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