Alumni News

We are saddened to announce the passing of former London partner Michael Cunliffe, who recently lost his battle with cancer and Parkinson's.

Michael became a partner at Ashurst in 1987 and led the planning team before leaving to join Forsters.

His friend and former London partner Tony Curnow remembers Michael below:

Michael joined Ashurst in 1985 from an in-house role at the London Borough of Camden, where he had majored in planning, compulsory purchase and historic buildings law. It was a typically canny recruitment by Laurence Rutman, head of the Property department (as it was then known), who saw in Michael someone who could build an expert planning team to keep pace with the then booming development market. And it was Laurence’s somewhat left-field client London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) – which for a time was the firm’s biggest revenue earner in the 1990s – that for many years took up much of Michael's time and energy. By 1988, he and Bill Innes had built a two-partner four-assistant planning group working alongside the real estate team. It was a very collegiate bunch of ex-public authority lawyers, all keen to expand their client horizons.

Michael was a totally committed professional; he was energetic and hard-working, with an engaging vein of northern humour and a willingness to train juniors. As an occupant of the office next door, I would regularly overhear his speakerphone conversations with LDDC officers and other clients, usually conducted in his friendly bantering tone. As an assiduous document draftsman brought up in the old town clerk school, he would be quick to spot examples of “sloppy” drafting from the other side – with the adjective being jauntily pronounced in a comic way. His informal approach helped create strong client loyalty. It also made him an amusing and likeable colleague.

Michael loved (in random order) his manual Saab turbo, England and West Indies cricket (he was an MCC member), helping bring up his two sons with Elisabeth, the preservation of old buildings (both for clients and in his home town of Saffron Walden), nice lunches and jolly conversation. He will be remembered by his colleagues for his good humour, quiet humility and impressive dedication to his craft – and for building an Ashurst planning team ranking among the best in London.

We are sorry to share the sad news that former Ashurst HR and Business Services Director Major Peter Marc Griffith passed away in January.

Former Ashurst CFO Nigel Morland remembers his friend below:

Peter was born in British Somaliland in 1953. He lived with his family in various places, at home and abroad, before boarding at Pierrepont School, Frensham. He studied law as an undergraduate before taking a big swerve to pursue a career in the Army, via Sandhurst.

As a young officer, he joined the 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. Among his many roles, he was deployed to Northern Ireland and to Rhodesia with the Commonwealth Monitoring Force. He then joined the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, all of whom were impeccably turned out at all times – whether in uniform or civilian attire. So it was perhaps here that Peter first developed an eye for fine tailoring – and a well-turned leg for a boot! He had a certain style and left a wardrobe full of nice suits with proper hats and polished shoes.

Following a return to the Airborne Forces, his last tour found him back where he started: with 7 Para RHA. Then, with major cuts to the armed forces on the horizon, he decided to take his bowler hat and head to the City. However, his links to the equestrian world continued with his work as a British Eventing Steward and Burghley Horse Trials Steward. More importantly, he was keen to encourage his daughter Lara's interest in riding.

After various roles at several law firms, Peter joined Ashurst as Global Head of HR and Operations in 1998, a role he held until 2009. It was a period of significant worldwide expansion for the firm. He led a great group of people and 16 years later they still meet up regularly, which is a testament to the team spirit he fostered.

Many Ashurst lawyers and support staff will have fond memories of Peter’s calm and supportive approach. You knew you could approach him with any problem and receive sensible and practical advice and understanding in return. One always had full confidence in his discretion.

After Ashurst, Peter again held a variety of roles at other law firms. He then spent five happy years as Company Secretary for the Howard de Walden Estate. Even during semi-retirement, his sense of duty and service was never far away. He worked around the country running pop-up Covid-19 vaccination centres in places where take-up of the vaccine was below par.

Peter was married and divorced three times. He was immensely proud of his only daughter, Lara Butler, who became a top dressage rider, first as a Junior and later when she was selected as a reserve for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Lara is now a senior professional rider. She lives in Holland with her husband Billy and their son, Jack.

There will be a drinks party in Peter's memory on the evening of Thursday 1 May at the Cavalry & Guards Club, 127 Piccadilly, London W1J 7PX. If you would like to attend, please send an email to pmgriffithmem@gmail.com as names must be notified in advance for security reasons.

If you would like to make a donation to Peter’s chosen charity, please visit: kingstroopfoundation.org

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Helen McKenzie, a former partner, consultant, and cherished member of our firm.

Helen joined our Sydney office in 1988 and became a partner in July 1991. She established the Employment practice in our Melbourne office, which thrives to this day. Her encyclopaedic knowledge of employment law and unwavering dedication made her a pre-eminent employment lawyer, advising many of Australia's largest employers.

Helen's contributions were immense. Not only did she lead our Employment practice with distinction, but she was closely involved in the strategy that led to the merger with Ashurst and the formation of today's global firm. As the first woman elected to the board of the Australian practice in 1995, Helen was a trail-blazer for women in the legal profession. From 2008 to 2013, she served as Deputy Managing Partner of our Australian offices, providing tremendous leadership and skilled management. Her legacy is marked by her generosity, wisdom, and encouragement, which have left an indelible impact on all who had the privilege of working with her.

Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with Helen's family and colleagues during this time of loss. Helen's positive impact on our firm and the legal community will be remembered and cherished by all who knew her.