Long-serving Hill Dickinson chief executive to step down as successor named

The chief executive of law firm Hill Dickinson is to step down in 2024, it has been announced.

Peter Jackson will be succeeded in the role by business services group head, Craig Scott, on April 30. Mr Jackson, a marine and transport specialist, he has been with the Liverpool-headquartered firm since 1983, where he was made managing partner in 2005 and became CEO in 2016.

Mr Jackson will be staying with the firm in an advisory capacity and will become a member of its board. Mr Scott will become CEO following more than 13 years as a corporate partner and is a former head of corporate at the practice.

Fiona Parry, partner and head of the commercial litigation team, who has also been at the firm since 2010, has been named as the new head of BSG. Established in 1810, Hill Dickinson is an international commercial law firm which employs around 950 people across 10 offices, six of which are in the UK and four in Hong Kong, Singapore, Piraeus and Monaco.

Mr Jackson said: "The past 18 years at the helm of the firm have been both exciting and rewarding and the business is now exactly where we want it to be. Since 2005, Hill Dickinson has grown from revenues of £31m to £128.6m as of April 2023 – our sixth year of consecutive growth - and the firm is a highly trusted brand, with people of great integrity and extremely loyal clients.

"Craig was the clear and unanimous choice for Hill Dickinson’s new CEO. He has driven major growth in revenue and in team strength and depth in the BSG, which is now the firm’s largest division. Under his strategic leadership we will continue to remain a large independent, profitable legal firm, with ambitious growth plans for all our services. I am very confident about the future of the firm with Craig at the helm."

Mr Scott added: "Put simply, my focus is going to be continuing to invest in the retention of our valued people, strategic recruitment of high performing talent and pushing on with our plans for further sustainable profitable growth in the marine (MBG) and healthcare (HBG) business groups as well as BSG, which has been serving us so well over the last three years. The record growth in profit levels that we have achieved in that recent three-year period has meant that we have been able to retain our cornerstone contributors of the Hill Dickinson practice and in turn invest significantly in acquiring talented ambitious people as part of planning the long-term foundations for future success across all our chosen growth locations.

"Some great people are being drawn to the firm, and major name clients are choosing to work with us, because we are continually investing in growing our standing as a large independent law firm, big enough on the national stage to be a respected quality outfit, but without losing our strong presence and connection to our people and local networks in each of our chosen locations and their related business communities. It's no doubt that I have big shoes to fill, l and I’m truly honoured to take the baton from Peter."

Chairman Jonathan Brown said: "What Peter has achieved during four decades at the firm as a partner, custodian and CEO to help guide its evolution as a firm is a credit to him. His personal dedication to the success and stability of Hill Dickinson during his long tenure has been an inspiration to us all. Peter will be working closely with Craig and the team over the coming months to ensure a smooth succession."

In its most recently-published accounts, for the year to April 30, 2022, the firm's turnover totalled £119.7m, up from £104.7m. Its pre-tax profits also increased from £35.4m to £46.2m.