Lodders promotes four to the partnership

Lodders has announced the promotion of four of its lawyers to partner following their successful completion of the firm’s inaugural “Path to Partnership” programme – a 12-month leadership course designed to develop future leaders within the firm.

Vicki Gulliver in the Private Client team, Sharon Crosby in the Care and Capacity team, Dan MacLeod and Lee Thompson in the Real Estate group join the Lodders partnership which is now made up of 27 partners across its various practice areas.

The cohort was the first to experience Lodders’ fresh approach to partnership development, which combines internal practical training sessions and events with an external training programme led by executive coach Steve Weiner and colleagues of London-based, SW Learning.

SW Learning delivered neuroscience-based strategic leadership training, with the combined sessions and materials providing the cohort with the tools needed to navigate the next step in their careers.

The Path to Partnership programme culminated in a formal written application, interview process and live role-play scenario, designed to evaluate final readiness for partnership at the firm.

Grace Walton, People and Culture Director at Lodders, helped to design and launch the programme. She said: “This programme represents a real shift in how we support career progression at Lodders. Rather than simply being told they are ready for partnership, our participants experienced a year of formal development that has truly prepared them for the responsibilities ahead. This approach creates a clear and supportive pathway to partnership and is truly unique for a firm of Lodders’ size and scale. Indeed, SW Learning regularly delivers similar training to prestigious multinational law firms including those in the ‘Magic Circle.’

“The cohort fully embraced the opportunity, built strong cross-team relationships, and emerged as confident, capable leaders. We’re incredibly proud of all four new partners and excited to see what they do next.”

Mark Miller, partner and head of Lodders’ Real Estate Group initiated and co-designed the programme. He commented: “We are absolutely delighted to see four talented, ambitious individuals excel through the Path to Partnership programme and to witness their personal and professional growth over the years. For instance, Vicki Gulliver started at Lodders in an administrative role, trained with us, and progressed through the ranks to become head of the Probate team and now to partner, which is an incredible achievement.

“It has also been a real pleasure to support the initiative and share my own experience of partnership. The internal training sessions offered practical insights into what the role truly entails – from day-to-day responsibilities to building a sustainable practice. The success of this programme is testament to Lodders’ commitment to nurturing internal talent and our innovative approach to developing and retaining our people.”

Lodders’ managing partner Paul Mourton added: “We are incredibly proud to announce the promotions of Vicki, Sharon, Dan, and Lee to the Lodders partnership. Our firm has a strong reputation for ‘growing our own’, and the success of the Path to Partnership programme developed in-house by Grace Walton is a clear reflection of that ethos. These promotions not only strengthen our leadership pipeline but also reinforce our commitment to developing talent from within. Each of our new partners bring exceptional skills and dedication to their role, along with fresh perspective and ideas. I am looking forward to working with all four of them as they step into their new roles.”