About Us
The CLLS and its specialist committees convene and convey the views of the sector, and provide advice to regulators, the Government, lawmakers, and other stakeholders. Such views are typically conveyed by the CLLS through consultations on new policies or sectoral reforms, original research, topical commentary, and participation in forums or debates.
At a time of significant evolution for the legal sector, not least in the context of recent debates around the importance of the Rule of Law, it is vital that the UK maintains its international reputation as a jurisdiction of choice for business.
All members of the CLLS play a critical role in driving the UK economy, a position that City law is determined to maintain in the face of challenging economic headwinds.
Colin Passmore
Colin qualified in 1984, was a Partner at Simmons & Simmons for over 33 years and Senior Partner of the firm from 2011 to 2021. Also qualified as a solicitor in Hong Kong, Colin developed a commercial and financial disputes practice that encompassed both international and domestic dispute. Colin is the author of “Privilege” (Sweet & Maxwell), soon to be in its 5th edition. He was appointed a Deputy District Judge in October 2022.
Matthew Rous
Matthew Rous took up his appointment as Chief Executive of the City of London Law Society in January 2022. He leads the Society’s work on promoting City law firms and City solicitors. Prior to that he spent 26 years in the UK Diplomatic Service, with postings in Beijing, Tokyo, Brussels, Jakarta, Baku and Guangzhou. From 2017 to 2021 he served as Chief Executive of the China-Britain Business Council.
The CLLS Committee (also known informally as the ‘Main Committee’) is our governing body, guiding and directing the work of the City of London Law Society. The Committee meets four times a year and has up to ten elected members drawn from across our membership. Representatives from the City of London Solicitors’ Company and The Law Society Council also attend on an ex officio basis.
Committee elections are held annually with vacancies usually advertised each March. If you are interested in serving on the Committee, please contact [email protected] to find out more.
The current membership of the CLLS Main Committee is as follows:
Colin Passmore (Chairman of the CLLS Committee, Simmons and Simmons LLP)
Edmund Parker (President of the CLLS and Master of the City of London Solicitors' Company, Mayer Brown LLP)
Victoria Younghusband (Treasurer of the CLLS, Charles Russell Speechlys LLP)
Elisabeth Baltay (Proskauer LLP)
Virginia Cannon (City of London Solicitors' Company)
Salome Coker (City of London Solicitors' Company)
Aster Crawshaw (Addleshaw Goddard LLP)
Ed Crosse (Simmons & Simmons LLP)
Simon Davis (City of London Solicitors' Company)
Richard Harrison (Clyde & Co LLP)
David Patient (Council Member of The Law Society of England and Wales, Travers Smith LLP)
Christopher Pugh (Freshfields LLP)
Laura Uberoi (Council Member of The Law Society of England and Wales, Addleshaw Goddard LLP)
Chris Vigrass (Council Member of The Law Society of England and Wales)
Nicholas Wrightson (Kingsley Napley LLP)
Peter Young (Norton Rose Fulbright LLP)
The following CLLS staff also attend meetings of the CLLS Committee:
Matthew Rous (Chief Executive)
Kevin Hart (Legal Policy Analyst)
Liz Thomas (Administrator)
The CLLS was originally part of The City of London Solicitors’ Company (CLSC), the Livery Company for solicitors in the City of London founded in 1908. In 1969 the CLSC established a separate Committee to deal with professional business matters. From 1986 this Committee was known as The City of London Law Society.
The CLLS became an unincorporated association in 2007, separate from the CLSC but still working in a close partnership between the two equal sibling organisations. This change made it possible for law firms to join the CLLS as Corporate Members and to acquire for all their City-based solicitors similar benefits to individual members.
In recent years the organisation's reach has increased significantly to the point where more than 21,000 solicitors enjoy CLLS member benefits, confirming the Society's position as the pre-eminent professional representative body for solicitors and law firms in the City of London.
