Herbert Smith Freehills appoints new Executive Partner, UK & EMEA

Herbert Smith Freehills today announced the appointment of Jeremy Walden as Executive Partner, UK & EMEA, effective from 1 June 2025 for a term of three years. Jeremy will oversee the firm's strategy implementation and performance across its 12 offices in the UK and EMEA regions. 

Jeremy succeeds Alison Brown, who has been appointed to a new role as Executive Partner, US Growth & Strategic Integration. Alison will focus on progressing the firm's US investment plan and integration programmes following the firm's announcement in April that Herbert Smith Freehills' and Kramer Levin's partnerships have voted overwhelmingly to combine. Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is expected to launch on 1 June 2025.

Jeremy is a market-leading real assets partner with over 30 years' experience of advising on some of the most complex and high-value transactions in the market. He works across the firm’s global client base with a particular focus on structured investment and consortium transactions involving private equity and sovereign fund investors. Jeremy has spent his entire career at Herbert Smith Freehills. He was the Managing Partner of the firm’s UK and EMEA Real Estate practice from 2018 to 2024 and a member of its UK and EMEA Executives.

Global CEO Justin D’Agostino commented:

"Congratulations to Jeremy on his appointment as Executive Partner, UK & EMEA. This strategic leadership role comes at an important moment for our firm, particularly with the new opportunities for our UK and EMEA offices as key corridors with our new US practices. Jeremy is uniquely placed for the role given his background, experience and passion for our firm and his ambitious vision of our future.

"I would like to thank Alison for her tremendous contribution to the firm as the Executive Partner for the UK, US and EMEA and especially for her leading role in our combination with Kramer Levin. I look forward to continuing to work with her to realise our ambitions in the US."