Why lawyers are ‘strikingly absent’ from Britain’s boardrooms
Lawyers remain a rarity on major company boards despite bringing increasingly relevant skills.
Contents
Lawyers may be ubiquitous in corporate Britain, but they remain remarkably scarce at its top table.
Only around half a dozen former senior lawyers serve as non-executive directors (NEDs) across more than 1,000 FTSE 100 board seats, according to research from executive search firm Odgers.
The numbers improve among FTSE 250 companies and private businesses, but lawyers remain significantly underrepresented on major UK boards even as companies grapple with growing regulatory, litigation, cyber, AI and geopolitical risks.
Alex Hamilton-Baily, a partner and head of legal at Odgers, describes a “striking absence of lawyers in the UK boardroom”, with the firm's research suggesting the barrier is often one of perception.
The contrast with the US and Germany has historically been stark. Previous research by executive search firm Spencer Stuart found that more than half of DAX 30 and Fortune 100 companies had at least one qualified lawyer on their boards.
Hamilton-Baily said part of the difference may be historical. GCs in the US have traditionally operated closer to the chief executive and spent more of their careers in the boardroom, while the CLO's emergence as a central figure within UK businesses is more recent.
“I think we're just behind the curve compared with the US,” he said.
One prominent US example is Kirkland partner Reginald Brown, who serves on the board of private capital giant Blackstone, which paid Kirkland nearly $90 million in fees last year.
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Stuck in a box
Part of the problem is how many boards perceive lawyers.
Hamilton-Baily said lawyers are frequently viewed as "technical specialists, risk averse advisors and compliance experts” rather than broader business leaders. Board recruitment processes also often prioritise candidates with clear profit and loss responsibility and previous management experience.
This can create a chicken-and-egg situation in which lawyers struggle to obtain the experience that would make them stronger candidates for future board positions.
Mark Freebairn, partner and head of board services at Odgers, points to another challenge: companies can simply buy legal expertise at an hourly rate from external advisers without using up a valuable board seat.
And lawyers are competing against a deep pool of former chief executives, finance chiefs and other senior business leaders who can point to years of direct operating experience.
The risk paradox
The scarcity of lawyers is particularly striking given the issues occupying modern boards.
Companies are grappling with cyber attacks, AI and data risks, geopolitical shocks, tariffs, activist investors, regulation and litigation, areas in which many senior lawyers have spent their careers advising.
One NED interviewed for the Odgers research described part of the board's role as being able to "tell you what's about to happen to you".
Another said: "I actually see GCs as the perfect non-executives. It's the closest executive role to the NED role: challenging colleagues without being too close to the operational detail."
I actually see GCs as the perfect non-executives - it's the closest executive role to the NED role.
Hamilton-Baily said the research does not argue that companies should appoint more lawyers simply because they are lawyers. Rather, boards may be overlooking candidates who possess many of the qualities they say they need, including judgement, governance experience, risk assessment and the ability to challenge management.
"Lawyers remain underrepresented on boards not because they lack relevant skills, but because long standing assumptions about what makes a board candidate continue to outweigh some of the realities of what modern boards actually are looking for," he said.
Lawyer second
Hamilton-Baily said the former lawyers who successfully make it onto boards are "almost always those who are seen first as business leaders" and lawyers second or third.
For private practice lawyers, that tends to favour former managing partners, senior partners and practice heads who can demonstrate that they have managed teams, budgets and businesses alongside advising clients.
Former law firm leaders who have gone on to board roles include ex-Ashurst global chair Geoffrey Green, who spent nine years on the board of mining giant Vedanta, and former Shepherd and Wedderburn chair James Will who has built a portfolio career as a NED and chair of listed investment trusts.
While it helps, holding a top management role at a law firm is not a prerequisite.
Cathy Pitt was a corporate partner at Norton Rose Fulbright and CMS before taking on several NED roles after retiring from private practice in 2023. Former Slaughter and May corporate partner Nilufer Kheraj left practice in 2021 and now sits on the board of FTSE 100 companies Legal & General and Games Workshop.
While practising
For current law firm partners, there can also be practical barriers to building board experience.
Freebairn said firms often have rules restricting the corporate boards on which practising lawyers can serve, particularly where their firm advises the company or could do so in the future. Time can be another constraint: a listed-company board can require significant attention, potentially clashing with a partner’s client responsibilities.
Law Firm | Trainee First Year | Trainee Second Year | Newly Qualified (NQ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Addleshaw Goddard | £52,000 | £56,000 | £100,000 |
| Akin | £60,000 | £65,000 | £174,418 |
| A&O Shearman | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Ashurst | £57,000 | £62,000 | £140,000 |
| Baker McKenzie | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Bird & Bird | £48,500 | £53,500 | £102,000 |
| Bristows | £48,000 | £52,000 | £95,000 |
| Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner | £53,000 | £58,000 | £125,000 |
| Burges Salmon | £49,500 | £51,500 | £76,000 |
| Charles Russell Speechlys | £52,000 | £55,000 | £93,000 |
| Cleary Gottlieb | £62,500 | £67,500 | £164,500 |
| Clifford Chance | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Clyde & Co | £48,500 | £51,000 | £90,000 |
| CMS | £50,000 | £55,000 | £120,000 |
| Cooley | £55,000 | £60,000 | £157,000 |
| Davis Polk | £65,000 | £70,000 | £180,000 |
| Debevoise | £55,000 | £60,000 | £173,000 |
| Dechert | £55,000 | £61,000 | £165,000 |
| Dentons | £52,000 | £56,000 | £104,000 |
| DLA Piper | £55,000 | £60,000 | £140,000 |
| Eversheds Sutherland | £50,000 | £55,000 | £120,000 |
| Farrer & Co | £48,500 | £51,000 | £89,000 |
| Fieldfisher | £48,500 | £52,000 | £100,000 |
| Freshfields | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Fried Frank | £55,000 | £60,000 | £175,000 |
| Gibson Dunn | £65,000 | £70,000 | £180,000 |
| Goodwin Procter | £55,000 | £60,000 | £175,000 |
| Gowling WLG | £48,500 | £53,500 | £108,000 |
| Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer | £56,000 | £61,000 | £145,000 |
| HFW | £52,000 | £56,000 | £103,500 |
| Hill Dickinson | £44,000 | £45,000 | £80,000 |
| Hogan Lovells | £56,000 | £61,000 | £145,000 |
| Irwin Mitchell | £43,500 | £45,500 | £78,000 |
| Jones Day | £60,000 | £68,000 | £170,000 |
| K&L Gates | £50,000 | £55,000 | £115,000 |
| Kennedys | £43,000 | £46,000 | £85,000 |
| King & Spalding | £62,000 | £67,000 | £175,000 |
| Kirkland & Ellis | £60,000 | £65,000 | £174,418 |
| Latham & Watkins | £60,000 | £65,000 | £174,418 |
| Linklaters | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Macfarlanes | £60,000 | £65,000 | £150,000 |
| Mayer Brown | £55,000 | £60,000 | £150,000 |
| McDermott Will & Schulte | £65,000 | £70,000 | £174,418 |
| Milbank | £65,000 | £70,000 | £174,418 |
| Mills & Reeve | £46,800 | £47,000 | £84,000 |
| Mishcon de Reya | £52,500 | £57,500 | £110,000 |
| Norton Rose Fulbright | £56,000 | £61,000 | £140,000 |
| Orrick | £60,000 | £65,000 | £170,000 |
| Osborne Clarke | £55,500 | £57,500 | £97,000 |
| Paul Hastings | £60,000 | £68,000 | £173,000 |
| Paul Weiss | £60,000 | £65,000 | £180,000 |
| Penningtons Manches Cooper | £48,000 | £50,000 | £83,000 |
| Pinsent Masons | £54,000 | £59,000 | £109,000 |
| Quinn Emanuel | n/a | n/a | £189,000 |
| Reed Smith | £55,000 | £60,000 | £135,000 |
| Ropes & Gray | £62,000 | £67,000 | £170,000 |
| RPC | £48,000 | £52,000 | £95,000 |
| Shoosmiths | £45,000 | £47,000 | £105,000 |
| Sidley Austin | £60,000 | £65,000 | £175,000 |
| Simmons & Simmons | £56,000 | £61,000 | £130,000 |
| Simpson Thacher | n/a | n/a | £178,000 |
| Skadden | £58,000 | £63,000 | £177,000 |
| Slaughter and May | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Squire Patton Boggs | £50,000 | £55,000 | £110,000 |
| Stephenson Harwood | £50,000 | £55,000 | £105,000 |
| Sullivan & Cromwell | £65,000 | £70,000 | £177,000 |
| TLT | £44,000 | £47,500 | £85,000 |
| Travers Smith | £55,000 | £60,000 | £130,000 |
| Trowers & Hamlins | £50,000 | £54,000 | £90,000 |
| Vinson & Elkins | £60,000 | £65,000 | £173,077 |
| Watson Farley & Williams | £51,500 | £56,000 | £107,000 |
| Weightmans | £36,000 | £38,000 | £70,000 |
| Weil | £60,000 | £65,000 | £170,000 |
| White & Case | £62,000 | £67,000 | £175,000 |
| Willkie Farr & Gallagher | £60,000 | £65,000 | £180,000 |
| Winston Taylor | £56,000 | £61,000 | £125,000 |
| Withers | £47,000 | £52,000 | £95,000 |
| Womble Bond Dickinson | £43,000 | £45,000 | £83,000 |
Rank | Law Firm | Revenue | Profit per Equity Partner (PEP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DLA Piper* | £3,130,000,000 | £2,500,000 |
| 2 | A&O Shearman | £2,900,000,000 | £2,000,000 |
| 3 | Clifford Chance | £2,400,000,000 | £2,100,000 |
| 4 | Hogan Lovells | £2,320,000,000 | £2,400,000 |
| 5 | Linklaters | £2,320,000,000 | £2,200,000 |
| 6 | Freshfields | £2,250,000,000 | Not disclosed |
| 7 | CMS** | £1,800,000,000 | Not disclosed |
| 8 | Norton Rose Fulbright* | £1,800,000,000 | Not disclosed |
| 9 | HSF Kramer | £1,360,000,000 | £1,400,000 |
| 10 | Ashurst | £1,030,000,000 | £1,390,000 |
| 11 | Clyde & Co | £854,000,000 | Not disclosed |
| 12 | Eversheds Sutherland | £769,000,000 | £1,400,000 |
| 13 | Pinsent Masons | £680,000,000 | £790,000 |
| 14 | Slaughter and May*** | £650,000,000 | Not disclosed |
| 15 | BCLP* | £640,000,000 | £790,000 |
| 16 | Simmons & Simmons | £615,000,000 | £1,120,000 |
| 17 | Bird & Bird** | £580,000,000 | £720,000 |
| 18 | Addleshaw Goddard | £550,000,000 | £1,000,000 |
| 19 | Taylor Wessing | £526,000,000 | £1,100,000 |
| 20 | Osborne Clarke** | £476,000,000 | £800,000 |
| 21 | DWF | £466,000,000 | Not disclosed |
| 22 | Womble Bond Dickinson | £450,000,000 | Not disclosed |
| 23 | Kennedys | £428,000,000 | Not disclosed |
| 24 | Fieldfisher | £385,000,000 | £1,000,000 |
| 25 | Macfarlanes | £371,000,000 | £3,100,000 |
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Hamilton-Baily said it was therefore uncommon to see current law firm partners on major listed boards, although there are exceptions. Linklaters senior partner Aedamar Comiskey sits on the board of listed defence group Babcock as an independent NED, a role she took on in 2025.
The complications do not necessarily disappear on retirement either. Some firms impose cooling-off periods that prevent former lawyers from moving directly from advising an organisation into a NED role.
Breaking in
For lawyers interested in eventually building a board career, the message is to start early.
Schools, universities, charities and other nonprofit organisations can provide experience without necessarily creating the same conflicts or time demands as a listed-company board.
Hamilton-Baily said Odgers regularly encourages senior professionals to think about such roles earlier rather than waiting until the end of their executive careers.
Former Freshfields senior partner Edward Braham is one example. Braham led the firm after previously serving as global head of corporate. His first NED role was at financial industry body TheCityUK while still at Freshfields, followed by a role at HM Treasury. He is now chair of FTSE 100 asset manager M&G.
A timely niche
Timing and specialist experience can also help open the first door.
One NED interviewed in the research said a "key component is being the right person for the right moment. The company's circumstances must match what you offer".
Be the right person for the right moment. The company's circumstances must match what you offer.
"My first NED role was with a company preparing for an IPO. I'd been through an IPO before, so the experience aligned."
A corporate lawyer who has worked extensively on IPOs could therefore become particularly attractive to a company preparing to list, while previous litigation experience could become valuable to a business entering a major period of disputes.
Firms ‘getting wiser’
Hamilton-Baily said firms are “getting wiser” to the value of maintaining relationships with departing partners, including how they manage retirements, off boarding and careers after the firm.
He pointed to McKinsey's alumni network as a model for maintaining relationships with former employees as they move into influential positions elsewhere.
Some of the City's biggest firms have invested heavily in keeping former lawyers within their orbit. Freshfields, Clifford Chance and Linklaters all operate formal alumni networks, with events, career opportunities and other initiatives designed to maintain relationships long after lawyers leave.
For firms, a partner's departure can be the start of a different kind of relationship, particularly if their next chapter takes them into the boardroom.
| Firm | London office since | Known for in London |
|---|---|---|
| Akin | 1997 | Restructuring, funds |
| Baker McKenzie | 1961 | Finance, capital markets, TMT |
| Davis Polk | 1972 | Leveraged finance, corporate/M&A |
| Gibson Dunn | 1979 | Private equity, arbitration, energy, resources and infrastructure |
| Goodwin | 2008 | Private equity, funds, life sciences |
| Kirkland & Ellis | 1994 | Private equity, funds, restructuring |
| Latham & Watkins | 1990 | Finance, private equity, capital markets |
| McDermott Will & Schulte | 1998 | Finance, funds, healthcare |
| Milbank | 1979 | Finance, capital markets, energy, resources and infrastructure |
| Paul Hastings | 1997 | Leveraged finance, structured finance, infrastructure |
| Paul Weiss | 2001 | Private equity, leveraged finance |
| Quinn Emanuel | 2008 | Litigation |
| Sidley Austin | 1974 | Leveraged finance, capital markets, corporate/M&A |
| Simpson Thacher | 1978 | Leveraged finance, private equity, funds |
| Skadden | 1988 | Finance, corporate/M&A, arbitration |
| Sullivan & Cromwell | 1972 | Corporate/M&A, restructuring, capital markets |
| Weil | 1996 | Restructuring, private equity, leverage finance |
| White & Case | 1971 | Capital markets, arbitration, energy, resources and infrastructure |
| Law firm | Type | First-year salary |
|---|---|---|
| White & Case | US firm | £32,000 |
| Stephenson Harwood | International | £30,000 |
| A&O Shearman | Magic Circle | £28,000 |
| Charles Russell Speechlys | International | £28,000 |
| Freshfields | Magic Circle | £28,000 |
| Herbert Smith Freehills | Silver Circle | £28,000 |
| Hogan Lovells | International | £28,000 |
| Linklaters | Magic Circle | £28,000 |
| Mishcon de Reya | International | £28,000 |
| Norton Rose Fulbright | International | £28,000 |
Law Firm | Trainee First Year | Trainee Second Year | Newly Qualified (NQ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A&O Shearman | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Clifford Chance | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Linklaters | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Slaughter and May | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
Law Firm | Trainee First Year | Trainee Second Year | Newly Qualified (NQ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A&O Shearman | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Clifford Chance | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Linklaters | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
| Slaughter and May | £56,000 | £61,000 | £150,000 |
Law Firm | Trainee First Year | Trainee Second Year | Newly Qualified (NQ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashurst | £57,000 | £62,000 | £140,000 |
| Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner | £53,000 | £58,000 | £125,000 |
| Herbert Smith Freehills | £56,000 | £61,000 | £145,000 |
| Macfarlanes | £60,000 | £65,000 | £150,000 |
| Travers Smith | £55,000 | £60,000 | £130,000 |
| Firm | Merger year | Known for in London |
|---|---|---|
| BCLP | 2018 | Real estate, corporate/M&A, litigation |
| DLA Piper | 2005 | Corporate/M&A, real estate, energy, resources and infrastructure |
| Eversheds Sutherland | 2017 | Corporate/M&A, finance |
| Hogan Lovells | 2011 | Litigation, regulation, finance |
| Mayer Brown | 2002 | Finance, capital markets, real estate |
| Norton Rose Fulbright | 2013 | Energy, resources and infrastructure, insurance, finance |
| Reed Smith | 2007 | Shipping, finance, TMT |
| Squire Patton Boggs | 2011 | Corporate/M&A, pensions, TMT |
Law Firm | Trainee First Year | Trainee Second Year | Newly Qualified (NQ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashurst | £57,000 | £62,000 | £140,000 |
| Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner | £53,000 | £58,000 | £125,000 |
| Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer | £56,000 | £61,000 | £145,000 |
| Macfarlanes | £60,000 | £65,000 | £150,000 |
| Travers Smith | £55,000 | £60,000 | £130,000 |
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