Reading: Boyes Turner CEO announces retirement plans

The chief executive of law firm Boyes Turner has announced plans to retire in 18 months’ time – as he hailed the business’ ‘excellent health’ after another strong six months’ performance.

Andrew Chalkley will round off 20 years at the helm of the Reading-based firm by stepping down from the CEO role at the end of March next year, and then spend his final year with the firm as senior partner before retiring in April 2021.

He will be succeeded as the head of the business by existing partner and current head of dispute resolution Jonathan Grigg, who will take the title of managing partner.

Chalkley, 60, announced his decision as he revealed that Boyes Turner had seen revenues rise by 12% year-on-year in the first half of 2019/20, as it continues to grow and build on a record-breaking 2018/19.

He cited strong performances in teams including clinical negligence, court of protection, education, personal injury, corporate and dispute resolution as a key driver behind another strong six months for the Thames Valley tech specialist.

It follows on from the previous financial year in which the business saw profit increase by 22% to £4.2 million and revenue, at £15.5m and up 8.3%, exceed the £15m mark for the first time in the firm’s 130-year history.

Chalkley, who joined Boyes Turner as CEO in April 2000, said: “The past two decades have been an amazing experience and I’m incredibly proud of everything we have achieved as a team in those 20 years.

“I want to thank everyone who I have had the pleasure to work with but I’m not finished yet. My focus is now on working with the team to consolidate the strong position we have built in the first six months of this financial year and continue that through to the end of my final year as CEO, building on the strong progress we have made in recent years.

“Boyes Turner is in excellent health. It’s a strong business with a good base of existing clients and an encouraging flow of new work coming through which promises further profitable growth in the future, which I look forward to supporting as senior partner.”

From left: Jonathan Grigg and Andrew Chalkley

Grigg, who will become Boyes Turner’s new managing partner in April, at the start of its next financial year, said: “Andrew has made a huge contribution to our success in the 20 years he has been with us and I’m excited to get the chance to build on that.

“The legal market is developing quickly. Our track record of innovation has enabled us to build a reputation working within a tech sector which is highly innovative. My job will be to make sure we keep moving as fast as the clients we serve and continue the great work Andrew and everyone at Boyes Turner has been doing.

“We had a record-breaking year last year and the past six months have seen us perform even better, which is testament to the strength and depth of talent we have here. I’ll be working hand in hand with Andrew and our team to ensure he can sign off in style as chief executive.”