One of the stalwarts of the Manchester legal scene is stepping away from the limelight, taking with her a formidable record of overseeing the success of not one but two firms.
Joy Kingsley began her career back in 1978 as a trainee with Pannone and rose to managing partner by the age of 37, overseeing an increase in turnover from £5m to £50m.
She moved onto Manchester firm JMW Solicitors for her next challenge, turning a primarily local clinical negligence and personal injury practice into a full-service firm, opening extra offices in London and Liverpool. Turnover was £10.2m when she joined and is predicted to be £75m this year. She has built a reputation for attracting and retaining the best young talent.
Under her guidance, in 2011 JMW also created Lawshare, a way for lawyers and law firms to get their client advice when they are unable to assist. Lawshare now has more than 700 law firms referring work to JMW.
Marking her retirement this month from day-to-day management, Kingsley said: 'You’re only as good as the people you employ, so it is important to ensure everyone knows their hard work is not just appreciated but rewarded. A considerable number of people at JMW have been with us for more than a decade, indeed some have spent their entire careers with us, and that is perhaps the best judge.'
Having won two industry lifetime achievement awards and numerous other accolades, she plans to split time between her home in Majorca and working as a consultant for JMW. She passes the managerial baton to Marc Yaffe as managing partner, Chris Sutton as chief executive and Warren Martin as senior partner.
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