Luke Powell

Luke is Managing Partner at Macfarlanes, a role he took on in 2022 after having been co-head of the firm’s Corporate M&A team from 2018. He joined Macfarlanes as a qualified lawyer in 2004, becoming a Partner in 2007. 

What makes Macfarlanes special and a unique place to work?

I think it's a combination of a few things. In the areas where we practice, we do the highest quality work there is, but we do so with a friendliness and a closeness that’s rare in the legal world. We’re not a large firm, we have just over 900 people, so we know each other pretty well, and we take our responsibility to develop and train our people seriously. This keeps us focused on our goal of being truly elite in what we do, while doing it in the right way. 

What do you enjoy most about your role as Managing Partner?

In my role, I get to interact with a lot of the firm and experience the variety of the work we do. This means I see the best of the firm, while also being able to spot opportunities for us to pull together and become even better. When I can do that, I find it particularly enjoyable. 

Why did you decide to specialise in corporate law?

When you're an M&A lawyer, you’re at the heart of the transaction, but you get a lot of input from our specialists too, whether that’s employment, competition, regulatory or some other area. It's your job to bring everything together and use it in the constructive endeavour of getting the transaction signed. Once you get to the end of the deal, there's a real sense of satisfaction for everybody involved. 

How would you describe the culture at Macfarlanes?

I think people are often surprised at how informal and friendly we are as a place to work. In fact, if you were to stop someone in the corridor and ask them for a one-word description, more often than not you’d probably hear the word “friendly”. We’re largely based in a single campus in London, with a Brussels office offering support on EU matters, which means that there’s a real opportunity to get to know your colleagues. We are a relationship-driven firm both internally and externally. So much of our success is built on the personal connections that we all make.

What advice would you give someone joining the firm?

I’ve got two main tips for someone joining Macfarlanes. The first would be to always be curious and ask questions. The second would be to use your initiative. If you come up with an idea – how to improve life at the firm, or an opportunity to develop – you may be surprised how quickly we implement it.