Gillian Carty elected to chair Shepherd & Wedderburn

Gillian Carty has been elected chair of Shepherd & Wedderburn, as Paul Hally steps down from the position he has held over two terms since 2014.

An accredited specialist in insolvency law and licensed insolvency practitioner, Ms Carty steps up from leading the firm’s Commercial Disputes & Regulation Division. As a board member she sponsored the firm’s People Strategy, promoting its diversity and inclusion initiatives and chairing its corporate social responsibility committee. 

She joined Shepherd & Wedderburn as a trainee solicitor in 1993 and was assumed as a partner in 2001. She will continue with client facing work during her three year term.

Following her election Ms Carty said: “I would like to thank Paul for the very significant contribution he has made as chair to developing and implementing the firm’s business strategy, and representing the interests of colleagues and clients. Paul has led by example, mentoring many young lawyers who have gone on to build successful careers in private practice and with many of our clients.

“We are a people business and that commitment to identifying and nurturing talent and encouraging diversity is fundamental to what we do and our ability to meet and, indeed, exceed our clients’ expectations of us. It is a privilege to have been elected to the role of chair and I look forward to working with my partners, colleagues and clients to help the many organisations and individuals we act for achieve their objectives.”

Managing partner Andrew Blain added: “Throughout her career, Gillian has set the standard for client service – building trusted adviser relationships with businesses that rely on her wise counsel and expert legal advice. Moreover, Gillian has shown herself to be a people person who is committed to widening access to the profession and to supporting initiatives designed to make a positive contribution to the communities in which we live and work. Gillian’s experience, empathy and legal expertise make her ideally suited for this role.”