Simmons hires 10 laterals as its stealth growth story continues

Simmons & Simmons has kicked off the year strongly, announcing the hire of 10 lateral partners internationally, including four in London, as it continues to build around a steady, sector-led growth strategy and sustained investment in talent.

The London lateral joiners are:

• Ali Fagan, Dispute Resolution, Construction
• Henry Bennett-Gough, Tax
• Mark Chivers, Corporate
• Oliver Wicker, Structured Finance and Derivatives

Fagan and Chivers join from DLA Piper, Bennett-Gough arrives from PwC’s tax disputes team and Wicker from Slaughter and May. All of the lateral partners announced are set to join Simmons in January.  

Managing partner Emily Monastiriotis said the hires were "a clear statement of our momentum and ambition", adding that the firm is increasingly attracting "top-tier partners" who value its sector expertise, collaborative culture and international reach.

The strategy

Simmons has pursued a sector-specific strategy focused on asset management and investment funds, financial institutions, healthcare and life sciences and TMT - areas that have seen solid demand in recent years. In its most recent financial results, the firm said those sectors grew by 7-8% and made up 80% of its total revenue.

Under Monastiriotis, who took over from longstanding leader Jeremy Hoyland in May last year, the firm has continued to prioritise Europe, the Middle East and Asia. That approach has set Simmons apart from some City peers that have made the New York-London axis and sponsor-led work a more central pillar of their strategy.

The trade-off is reduced exposure to that upside, but with less pressure to chase expensive US-rivalling lateral talent and lower exposure to deal volatility. Indeed, that positioning was something senior partner Julian Taylor highlighted on The Non-Billable Podcast last year, describing Simmons' focus on long-term client relationships, full life-cycle support and being embedded with clients rather than parachuting in for one-off blockbuster deals.

Simmons has also been making headway in the Middle East, launching in Riyadh last year and opening its new Abu Dhabi office this month. It also has an established presence in Dubai and recently marked 30 years in the region.

Financially, the strategy appears to be paying off. The firm reported solid financials in its most recent results, with revenue reaching £615 million, up nearly 60% since 2020, alongside a similarly strong rise in profit per equity partner over the same period.

Moves, moves, moves

That trajectory has been reinforced through a sustained run of targeted lateral hiring. Simmons was among the most active partner recruiters in London last year, bringing on board 11 new partners from rivals, according to data from legal recruitment consultancy Edwards Gibson.

The arrival of structured finance and derivatives partner Wicker this month stands out in particular. Lateral moves from Slaughter and May remain vanishingly rare, and the hire underlines Simmons’ growing pull in the market.

Late last year, the firm also brought across a five-strong pensions team from DLA Piper, strengthening its pensions offering amid sustained demand for de-risking advice.

A new home

Alongside people moves, Simmons is also planning changes to its physical footprint. Its decision to leave its current headquarters at CityPoint after 30 years for 25 Finsbury Circus in 2030 gives it a prestige bump alongside its upward growth trajectory.