Addleshaw Goddard Leeds makes five new partners, as international firm grows headcount past 3,200

International law firm Addleshaw Goddard Leeds has promoted five lawyers to its partnership from the firm’s Sovereign Square office. Philippa McCarthy, Geoff McGinley, and James Washington (all Finance), Edward Ainscoe (Corporate Finance), and Laura McAuley (Real Estate) are the newest members of the partnership. The five Leeds promotions are part of a 17-strong cohort across the firm, up from 15 in 2025. Addleshaw Goddard has also made 47 lateral partner hires over the past year and grown its total headcount by more than 10% to over 3,200.

Why This Matters For Leeds

Three of the five promotions come from Finance, reflecting the growing concentration of high-value financial and legal services work in the city. The Leeds office is being positioned as a core part of their growth. That’s a meaningful signal for the city’s professional services sector.

What the Addleshaw Goddard Leeds Promotions Tell Us

Three of the five new partners come from the firm’s Finance team, which is notable. It reflects what Lucy Sturrock, Head of the Leeds office, describes as the city’s position at the heart of the UK’s “Northern Square Mile” for financial and professional services. These are finance lawyers based in Yorkshire advising on complex, high-value transactions for clients across the UK and internationally. The Corporate Finance and Real Estate promotions round out what is a strong showing for Leeds relative to the firm’s other offices, which span London, Edinburgh, Dublin, Dubai, Madrid, and Warsaw.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to welcome our five new partners in Leeds — including three from our Finance team — which underlines both the depth of talent we have in the city and Leeds’ position at the heart of the UK’s ‘Northern Square Mile’ for financial and professional services.”

— Lucy Sturrock, Head of Leeds Office, Addleshaw Goddard

A Wider Growth Story

The promotions sit within a broader expansion. The 47 lateral partner hires over the past 12 months included 17 in London and 17 across international offices. The firm’s headcount has grown by more than 10% in a year to over 3,200 colleagues, driven by what managing partner Andrew Johnston describes as the firm’s AG2030 growth strategy. For Leeds, the signal is clear: Addleshaw Goddard Leeds is being invested in not as a regional satellite but as a core part of the firm’s UK and international platform. Lucy Sturrock was explicit on this point, describing the city as a place to build long-term careers at the firm, with close collaboration across the wider network.