New Chairman at Ashtons Legal

Ashtons Legal is delighted to announce the appointment of its new Chairman, Michael Frape.

Michael, a Commercial Disputes Partner who is based primarily in the firm’s Cambridge office, takes over the role from Mark Merriam who has held the post for the past seven years.

Ashtons’ Chairman is responsible for the firm’s governance and Michael will work closely alongside Ashtons’ CEO, Ed O’Rourke.

Michael says: “We are facing challenging times in the legal profession, with change being a key factor in almost everything we do including the way we deliver legal services. Some of these challenges are regulatory changes driven by the government or the Solicitors Regulation Authority not least in the fields of personal injury and clinical negligence, and other challenges are driven by the way the digital economy is revolutionising the way legal work is done and increasing the service expectations of our clients.

We act for a broad range of clients – regional, national and international – across diverse sectors – from international franchisors to regional landowners or individuals buying properties in France.All have different needs and expectations.In my role as Chairman, I am looking forward to helping the leadership team face the challenges and working with the talented team of lawyers and other professionals we now have in our business to ensure that we deliver a consistently excellent service to all our clients”.

Ed O’Rourke adds: “Michael is recognised by colleagues, opponents and clients alike for his commercial skills and results-driven approach. His appointment as Chairman at Ashtons will enable him to use these skills to a greater extent for the benefit of our own business as well as those of our clients”.

Pictured – Michael Frape and Ed O’Rourke.