Shoosmiths taps ex-DLA Piper boss to plot international growth

Shoosmiths has brought in one of the City’s best-known law firm leaders, hiring former DLA Piper CEO Simon Levine as a board adviser.

Levine, one of the market's leading IP lawyers, spent two decades at DLA Piper and rose to the top of its global management before stepping down last year. His arrival gives Shoosmiths heavyweight leadership experience as the firm looks to build on a run of strong financial results and plot the next stage of its growth.

The firm said Levine will work closely with its board and executive team to help shape international growth and deliver its 2030 growth strategy focused on three key practice pillars - corporate, real estate and litigation.

Shoosmiths in growth mode

The appointment follows a record year for Shoosmiths. Under CEO David Jackson, the firm smashed through the £1 million profit per equity partner barrier for the first time in FY25, with PEP jumping 30% to seven figures. Net profit climbed 16% on revenues of £217 million, up 5% on the previous year.

Levine said Shoosmiths’ culture and ambition were key to his decision: "There’s a real energy and openness to new ideas, a belief in doing things differently, and a clarity of purpose that runs through the firm. Shoosmiths is already delivering for clients at the highest level, and it’s now poised to take that success onto a bigger stage."

He added that the firm "hasn’t yet made its move globally, which means it has the space to build something better suited to what clients will require over the next decade."

While Shoosmiths has a strong presence across the UK and Ireland, it has just one international base in Brussels which opened in 2022.

What they said

Jackson said: "Simon is one of the most respected leaders in the legal industry. His decision to partner with us speaks volumes about where Shoosmiths is headed and the kind of firm we want to be."

Chair Kirsten Hewson added: "Simon’s appointment is a hugely exciting moment for the firm … His perspective will be invaluable as we continue to grow, evolve, and challenge ourselves to think differently about what a modern, ambitious law firm can achieve."