Solicitor Claire Currie takes the helm from David Kirwan who is standing down from the role after 37 years in order to focus on his client work and other professional duties. Tony McDonough reports
Merseyside law firm Kirwans has appointed its first-ever female managing partner.
Solicitor Claire Currie takes the helm from David Kirwan who is standing down from the role after 37 years in order to focus on his client work and other professional duties. Kirwans has offices in Liverpool, Wirral and Southport.
Ms Currie joined Kirwans in 2006 after an earlier career in the science industry. She qualified as a solicitor in 2008 and went on to become partner, head up the private client and family departments, and start networking group Mums in Business.
She is a single mum-of-two and is based at the firm’s Moreton office. She said: “In an industry where it has historically been difficult for women to rise through the ranks, hopefully my appointment will inspire even more girls to believe that it is possible to make your mark as not only a woman, but also a mum, in law.
“I look forward to building on all that has been achieved by Mr Kirwan over the years and to seeing Kirwans continue to evolve as it supports the Merseyside community with all of its legal needs.”
Figures show that in 2017-2018, more than two-thirds of entrants to law school were women, yet data from the Solicitors Regulation Authority revealed that in the same year just 33%of partners in law firms were female – a figure that dropped to just 29% in the largest law firms with more than 50 partners.
Ms Currie will now spend more time concentrating on the development and growth of the business as the profession continues to undergo dramatic change.
David Kirwan said: “Claire’s talent and passion have stood out since she joined the firm 14 years ago, and her incredible knowledge and understanding of both the law and business means she is perfectly positioned to take over the reins as managing partner.
“I have every confidence that, under her tenure, the firm will thrive, and look forward to seeing both Claire and Kirwans excel as she goes forward in her new role.”