About Us
The City of London Law Society champions the interests of City law, strengthening its influence and promoting its contribution to the UK economy and London's position as a global legal centre. By bringing together the collective voice and expertise of our members, we shape policy, inform regulation, and deepen engagement with Government, business, lawmakers, and other stakeholders. We promote City law as a modern, trusted and economically essential force, safeguarding the standards, integrity, and Rule of Law on which the profession depends.
Colin Passmore, KC (Hon)
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.
Patrick McCann
Patrick McCann took up his appointment as Chief Executive of the City of London Law Society in September 2025, having worked in five City of London law firms. He leads the Society’s work on promoting City law firms and City solicitors.
The CLLS Board (also known informally as the ‘Main Board’) is our governing body, guiding and directing the work of The City of London Law Society. The Board 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.
Board elections are held annually with vacancies usually advertised each March. If you are interested in serving on the Board, please contact enquiries@clls.org to find out more.
The current membership of the CLLS Main Board is as follows:
Colin Passmore, KC (Hon) (Chairman of the CLLS Committee, formerly Simmons and Simmons LLP)
Simon Davis (President of the CLLS and Master of the City of London Solicitors' Company)
Victoria Younghusband (Treasurer of the CLLS)
Elisabeth Baltay (Proskauer LLP)
Salome Coker (The City of London Solicitors' Company)
Simon Colvin (Pinsent Masons LLP)
Aster Crawshaw (Addleshaw Goddard LLP)
Chrissy Findlay (Eversheds Sutherland LLP)
Richard Harrison (Clyde & Co LLP)
Alex Kyriakoulis (HFW LLP)
David Patient
Christopher Pugh (Freshfields LLP)
Kath Roberts (Eversheds Sutherland LLP)
Ben Rose (Hickman & Rose LLP)
Shannett Thompson (Kingsley Napley LLP)
Jeremy Walden (Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP)
Peter Young (Norton Rose Fulbright LLP)
The following CLLS staff also attend meetings of the CLLS Board:
Patrick McCann (Chief Executive)
Kevin Hart (Legal Policy Analyst)
Carly Hollingsworth (External Affairs Lead)
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 22,000 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.
