Patrick is the Director of Learning with Linklaters LLP. His main responsibilities include devising and implementing the firm’s L&D strategy, managing a team of over 30 and overseeing the design and delivery of learning interventions for all populations. He has a particular interest in capability development, in-room and virtual learning delivery, people aspects of business life and financial management. Linklaters is the 2023 recipient of Legal Cheek’s Award for Best Training in a Law Firm (an award that is obtained through colleagues’ survey responses).
Before joining Linklaters, Patrick was Head of Learning and Development at three other law firms – Herbert Smith Freehills, Berwin Leighton Paisner and Bird and Bird. Previous to that, he worked for five years in commercial conferencing. Patrick qualified as a commercial litigator in another City law firm, Denton Hall, in 1992. Before that, he graduated with a LLB in Law and German Law from King’s College London.
Patrick is also Chair of the City of London Law Society Training Committee. In that role, established #CityCentury, a more-than-50-firm collaboration expected to bring in more than 100 solicitor apprentices into the City of London each year – he is now CEO.
Alongside Jo Hughes, he is Co-CEO of City Century, a career-creation collaboration of now over 50 London-located law firms annually recruiting ca 150 solicitor apprentices into the City. City Century has been shortlisted for nine industry awards, to date winning four, including The Lawyer 2024 Awards for Best Talent and Inclusion Initiative.
He also founded the Society’s Social Welfare Solicitor Qualification Fund which launched in December 2021 and now has funding for ca 100 candidates with £1 million raised.
