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05 March 2026
Categories: Movers & Shakers , Profession
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Fladgate—Grant Gordon & Darran Stevenson

Firm re-elects managing partner and appoints new chief operating officer

Fladgate has re elected Grant Gordon (pictured) as managing partner for a third term, effective 1 April 2026, and appointed former Dentons chief operating officer Darran Stevenson as its new chief operating officer. The move comes as the firm strengthens its leadership team for its next phase of growth.

Under Gordon’s leadership, revenues have grown by almost 100% since 2021 and PEP has surpassed £1m, with more than 40 lateral partners recruited and headcount expanding to over 400 people. David Robinson and Ella Leonard have been re-elected as heads of corporate and funds, finance & regulatory, while Matthew Williams has been newly elected as head of real estate. John Evans continues as head of dispute resolution following his re-election last year.

Gordon said: ‘I’m delighted to continue leading the firm alongside a senior management team of exceptional quality,’ adding that Stevenson’s arrival ‘marks an important transition for the firm’ and that his experience ‘will be invaluable as we continue building a resilient, ambitious, client focused business.’

He added: ‘Our re elected and newly appointed leaders bring the right mix of continuity, experience and innovation,’ saying the firm is ‘well positioned to deliver on our strategic priorities while ensuring our culture remains one of Fladgate’s strongest assets.’

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Workplace law firm expands commercial disputes team with senior consultant hire

EIP—Rob Barker

EIP—Rob Barker

IP firm promotes patent attorney to partner

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Banking and restructuring team bolstered by insolvency specialist

NEWS
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Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
Recent allegations surrounding Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have reignited scrutiny of the ancient common law offence of misconduct in public office. Writing in NLJ this week, Simon Parsons, teaching fellow at Bath Spa University, asks whether their conduct could clear a notoriously high legal hurdle
A landmark ruling has reshaped child clinical negligence claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Jodi Newton, head of birth and paediatric negligence at Osbornes Law, explains how the Supreme Court in CCC v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2026] UKSC 5 has overturned Croke v Wiseman, ending the long-standing bar on children recovering ‘lost years’ earnings
A Court of Appeal ruling has drawn a firm line under party autonomy in arbitration. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed, associate professor at the University of Leicester, analyses Gluck v Endzweig [2026] EWCA Civ 145, where a clause allowing arbitrators to amend an award ‘at any time’ was held incompatible with the Arbitration Act 1996
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