JMW announces new Management Board

Fast-growing full-service law firm JMW Solicitors LLP has announced a new Management Board as of 1 November 2022.

Managing Partner Paul Walker is due to retire from the firm on 31 October 2022 having worked at JMW for over 33 years. Paul joined JMW as a Commercial Property solicitor, progressing to Finance Director in 2009 and Managing Partner in 2014. Paul is known in the Northwest for his charity work with Lord's Taverners NW region and Cheshire children's charity, Friends for Leisure.

Paul has worked alongside Senior Partner Joy Kingsley since 2014 and under their management, the firm has experienced phenomenal growth. Joy is well known in the Manchester Legal Community and during her 12 years at JMW its revenue has increased from £10m to £66.6m and from 170 to 650 people. Joy was also instrumental in opening JMW’s London office in 2019 which now has 150 staff and Partners. During her career Joy has been the beneficiary of 3 Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Managing Partners Forum, The Sunday Times Best Companies to Work for and The Manchester Legal Awards.

From 1 November 2022, Joy will become Joint Senior Partner and will remain with JMW as a Consultant from April 2023.

The new management team will comprise Marc Yaffe, Warren Martin and Chris Sutton.
Marc Yaffe will become JMW’s Managing Partner from 1 November 2022. Marc has been at JMW for over 10 years where, as Head of Commercial Litigation, he grew the department from 14 to over 60 people taking turnover from £1m to £6.6m and transforming it into one of the biggest litigation teams in the North West. His team also won Litigation team of the Year at the Manchester Legal Awards in 2019 and 2021.

Warren Martin will become Joint Senior Partner, initially sharing the title with Joy Kingsley until April 2023. Warren has been the Head of Real Estate at JMW for the last 3 years and specialises in Real Estate Finance. He joined JMW in April 2015 to set up the new Real Estate Finance team that now comprises of over 40 people.  Warren acts for high street banks, challenger banks, peer to peer lenders and other specialist lending institutions with existing clients including Lendinvest, United Trust Bank, and Social Money Limited.

Current Head of Operations Chris Sutton will be become CEO of JMW. Chris, a former JMW trainee, has been at JMW over 25 years and successfully jointly led the Personal Injury team from 2001-2017. Chris currently oversees the operational management of the firm and has responsibility for the growth, development and sustainability of JMW through the implementation of IT and efficiency systems, with a particular focus on client care and service delivery.

Senior Partner Joy Kingsley’s commented about Paul Walker’s retirement:

“The whole of JMW are very grateful to Paul Walker for his leadership over the last 8 years as Managing Partner and for his service for over 33 years to JMW. I know that he will be greatly missed not only by all the Partners and staff at JMW but his long-standing property clients, many who he has worked with for many years. I know everyone at the firm would like to wish Paul all the best for a very enjoyable retirement.”

Commenting on the new Management Board Joy said:

“We are delighted to announce that Marc Yaffe, Warren Martin and Chris Sutton will take over the Management of JMW. They are all embedded into the culture of JMW and committed to its growth. I know everyone at JMW wishes them every success in their new roles. They all have the full support from the Equity Board and will continue to build on the success we have achieved at JMW already.”