Browne Jacobson adds senior talent to City team with double partner hire

Browne Jacobson has landed two senior partner hires in London, bringing in real estate lawyer Christian Major and data, privacy and cybersecurity specialist Phil James as it continues to build out its City platform.

‘Statement hires’

Major joins from K&L Gates, where he advised investors, developers and corporate occupiers on real estate matters across the UK.

James arrives from Eversheds Sutherland and will now take on the role of head of UK data, privacy and cybersecurity at Browne Jacobson. He will also co-lead the firm’s international data, privacy and cybersecurity group, advising clients on data protection, AI, cyber risk and fraud prevention.

Declan Cushley, head of the London office, described the pair as “statement hires”, adding that both roles sit in areas where client demand is particularly strong.

The appointments take the firm’s London lateral count to six in the past financial year, a sustained push in the capital for the Nottingham-headquartered firm.

Tech and IP has been a recent focus. 18 months ago, Browne Jacobson added a five-partner tech and commercial team from EY Law in London, led by partners Rowan Armstrong and Alex Mason.

Browne Jacobson has six UK offices and one in Dublin, with 33 partners in London. The firm posted record revenue of £137 million last year, up 16%, marking its fourth consecutive year of double-digit growth and placing it just inside the UK’s top 50 firms by revenue.