Alumni News

We are delighted to congratulate Sydney alum Peter Johnstone on being appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2026 Australia Day Honours. Peter, who served as Melbourne and Sydney Managing Partner at Ashurst before going on to become Chief Magistrate of the NSW Local Court, has been recognised for his significant service to the law and judiciary, to legal standards and to Indigenous youth. A richly deserved honour. Congratulations, Peter!

The Ashurst alumni community extends its warmest congratulations to Graham Bradley, former Blake Dawson Managing Partner from 1991 to 1996, who has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the 2026 Australia Day Honours. Graham has been recognised for his distinguished service to corporate governance, arts leadership, and sport and education, a testament to the breadth and depth of his contribution to Australian public life since leaving the firm. Congratulations, Graham!

Andrea Bowe (Commercial Litigation Solicitor, London, until 2006) was appointed Managing Director, Regulatory Strategy & Policy, UK & EMEA at Citi in January 2026. Since leaving Ashurst, Andrea has built an impressive career in financial regulation, spending nearly two decades at the Financial Conduct Authority in various senior roles, including Director, Enforcement; Chief of Staff to the CEO, Nikhil Rathi; Director of Transformation; interim Director of Communications; and Director in Supervision, Policy and Competition, where she led a large function responsible for Prudential Policy & Supervision, Client Assets, Cyber & Operational Resilience, Resolution & Insolvency and Financial Crime & Fraud. From 2023 to 2025 she served as Chair of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (E)MMoU Monitoring Group and Monitoring Steering Group, responsible for overseeing the operation of, and compliance with, the (E)MMoU, including decision making on disputes and matters of noncompliance. Her new position reflects her exceptional track record in navigating complex global regulatory landscapes and organisational change.

Anna-Maria Krekeler (Corporate/M&A Senior Associate, Frankfurt, until 2021) was promoted to Associate Director Legal Global B&D, Licensing & M&A at pharmaceutical company STADA Group in December 2025. Since leaving Ashurst, Anna-Maria has continued to develop her transactional strenghts, first as a Senior Manager at Ernst & Young before moving into the pharmaceutical industry as in-house counsel. Her current position, advising on global business development, licensing and M&A activities, reflects her strong foundation in cross-border corporate transactions.

Transitioning from private practice to an in-house role in the pharmaceutical sector is a significant move. What drew you to the life sciences industry?

I was particularly drawn to the life sciences industry because it allows legal work to directly support innovations that have a meaningful impact on patients and healthcare systems. After several years of advising clients in private practice, I wanted to bring my transactional experience closer to the strategic and operational decisions behind a business. The pharmaceutical sector is fast moving, international and highly regulated; it's an environment where legal, commercial, and scientific perspectives come together. That combination, and the opportunity to shape tangible outcomes, made the transition especially appealing to me.

As Associate Director overseeing global licensing and M&A, what do you find most rewarding about working on deals that directly shape STADA's growth strategy?

What I find most rewarding is the opportunity to lead transactions that have both immediate strategic relevance and long-term global impact. STADA’s growth is inherently international, and each cross-border deal requires close coordination between commercial teams, regulatory experts, supply chain, finance, and regional affiliates.

M&A and licensing in the pharma sector go far beyond the signing of an agreement. Ensuring regulatory feasibility across multiple jurisdictions, aligning lifecycle and regulatory and supply considerations, and understanding country specific approval pathways are essential for successful execution.

Looking back on your career journey, what's the best piece of advice you've received along the way and who gave it to you?

“Focus on solutions, stay curious, and communicate clearly, especially when things get complex.” This advice has shaped how I navigate M&A matters, particularly when regulatory timelines, multiple stakeholders, or cross border structures add layers of complexity. It reminded me early on that legal work is not only about identifying risks, but also about enabling solutions that work across functions and jurisdictions, a mindset that continues to guide my approach to transactions today.

Matthew Rickards (1975–2026)

It is with great sadness that we share the news that our colleague and friend Matthew Rickards passed away on Tuesday 6 January 2025. Matt was a partner in Ashurst's Projects and Energy Transition practice, and his loss is deeply felt by all who had the privilege of knowing and working alongside him.

Matt joined Ashurst as a trainee in March 1999 and spent his formative years in the Energy, Transport and Infrastructure team in London. From the outset, he distinguished himself as a diligent and bright lawyer who was always prepared to challenge convention and who built exceptional relationships with his clients, including Transport for London, Amey, Sodexo and QinetiQ. He earned the admiration of partners and peers alike as an associate of rare quality.

In 2012, Matt relocated to Tokyo with his wife Lucy and their two young daughters, Lottie and Sophie. It was during this posting that he was promoted to Counsel and then, in 2015, to Partner. In Japan, Matt played a key role in supporting major institutions and sponsors, including JBIC, JICA, Mitsui, Mitsubishi and Sojitz, on their outbound investments and project financings across Asia. Clients sought him out for his thoughtful and measured approach to leading complex projects, while associates valued his generosity in coaching and mentoring the next generation of lawyers.

In 2019, Matt and his family moved to New York as part of the firm's US Projects and Energy Transition team expansion. There, he supported global clients such as Plenary, John Laing and Skanska, as well as strategic US clients including the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Georgia Department of Transportation. His most notable achievements involved advising on the first ever broadband and electric-vehicle charging project and the precedent-setting SR 400 Express Lanes revenue risk project. Matt's passion for infrastructure work was infectious and he quickly became a unifying force within the New York office and the wider US infrastructure industry.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Matt will be remembered for bringing his warmth, kindness and good humour into every room he entered. He was well liked and a good friend to so many, with an unfailing positive approach and real consideration for others. He always had a smile on his face. Whether organising team awaydays and ski trips, or simply being the first to arrive at a social gathering and the last to leave, Matt had a rare gift for bringing people together.

Colleagues across the firm have been sharing their memories:
He was unrelentingly positive and a genuine team player: he voluntarily gave up a whole weekend to help me as a trainee in 2003, having seen me sitting late in the evening dwarfed by a stack of files to due diligence."

"Matt was a 'glue partner'; he brought teams together and fostered team spirit, which was particularly important during in his time in Tokyo as the office went through a transition, and in New York as the office grew."

Richard James (1935–2026)

It is with great sadness that we report the death of Richard James, a partner in our Company department in London for 30 years until his retirement in 1995. He died on 26 January 2026 at the age of 90. His former colleagues remember him with tremendous affection as one of the Ashurst "greats", not only an exceptionally talented lawyer, but also a huge contributor to the ethos, success and growth of the firm. They recall that working with him was always a pleasure.

Richard was educated at Cheltenham College before graduating from Worcester College, Oxford. He joined Ashurst as an articled clerk in 1958, qualified in 1960 and became a partner in 1964.

After qualifying, Richard initially worked closely with Martin Lampard, who was already a young partner with the firm and went on to become one of London's most renowned lawyers and Ashurst's senior partner for many years. As Martin Lampard's reputation grew, and public takeovers boomed, Richard's focus moved with Martin's away from the more traditional company/commercial work to what became known as corporate finance / public M&A. Together, they advised on many, if not most, of the prominent takeover bids during the 1970s and 1980s, building a significant reputation for Ashurst in the process. Notable transactions included the merger of Allied Breweries with Showerings, an Ashurst client which came to dominate the combined entity, and Grand Metropolitan's takeover of Watney's.

With his corporate partner colleague and later senior partner Martin Bell, Richard advised the Industrial Reorganisation Corporation (IRC), which was established by Harold Wilson's Labour government in the 1970s to take stakes in and enhance the competitiveness of industries considered important to UK manufacturing. Senior IRC executives went on to become leading industrialists (with Sir Graham Day, for instance, becoming chairman and CEO of British Leyland and British Shipbuilders) and, through Richard and Martin, Ashurst remained a trusted adviser throughout.

Richard developed strong relationships with several merchant banks, notably, Rothschild and Samuel Montagu (later part of Midland Bank, which itself was acquired by HSBC). Many of the directors became lifelong "chums" (as he would say), and, when they moved on to run other companies, Richard would usually continue as their trusted adviser.

He did not want to be a specialist lawyer; he thought that would be boring and he did not like to be bored. For Richard, work should always be fun, working with "chums". He continued as a general corporate lawyer advising banks and corporates alike, including in areas that are seen as specialist areas these days. Nevertheless, he recognised the growing trend for specialisation and throughout his career he persisted in bringing in new people to enhance the partnership and to develop areas of expertise, albeit those people had to be "the right sort of person" and, in the case of new partners, had to meet his Rye Golf Club test: would the partner be suitable as a member of the club?

Richard was instrumental in developing the firm into the pre-eminent corporate firm that it became, but always with an eye to maintaining the real partnership feel of the firm. He oversaw our first written partnership agreement, though he actually thought that a written agreement was not really necessary as all the partners were his chums, as well as being "decent chaps" (or, in one case, a chapess) and so would instinctively know how to behave and what to do. So, Richard's first draft of the new partnership agreement was fairly brief.

Former corporate partner Alastair Macpherson remembers his friend:

Life was never dull in the James department, with the working week commencing with a humorous and detailed analysis of Richard's performance at Rye Golf Club over the weekend. Then there were entertaining tales of life in Notting Hill, and only then did legal issues start to get considered.

Richard had an enquiring and pragmatic mind, perfectly suited to the difficult and often urgent company law and Takeover Code issues faced by his clients, and he flourished in the golden era of takeovers in the 1970s and 1980s. He remained the go-to adviser for many banks and brokers throughout that period.

In essence, Richard was a joy to work with, and those of us who had the pleasure of doing so will look back with fond memories and count ourselves extremely fortunate to have known such an entertaining and loyal colleague. We shall miss him.

Former corporate partner Susan Roy, who joined the firm in 1985, remembers Richard with equal fondness:

Richard interviewed me and told me that I didn't really want to be a litigator, as I had thought I did, and I didn't really want to go to any further interviews. Instead, he said, I should join him in the Company department as it would be "much more fun". So, being somewhat awestruck, I meekly agreed and started work two weeks later on what happened to be Richard's 50th birthday. And Richard was right: it was such fun.

Susan remembers Richard as an early advocate for women succeeding in the City - perhaps influenced by the fact that he and his wife Honor had four daughters, and his desire that they should have the same opportunities as men. His eldest and youngest daughters became lawyers, with the youngest, Isabel, working at Ashurst in the early 2000s, thus continuing the family connection to the firm.

Former partner Geoffrey Picton-Turbervill, who joined the firm in 1986, also enjoyed a memorable interview with Richard and remembers him with the greatest affection as being wonderful company and great fun:

My interview with Richard was one morning shortly before Christmas 1985. Later that afternoon I had a call from Richard, who had clearly had a decent lunch. He didn't introduce himself, but just opened the call by saying, "When can you start?"

I guessed who it was and mumbled something about having interviews planned with other City firms, to which he just said, "No, no, you don't want to go to any of those firms. Cancel the interviews and let me know when you can start".

Never one to turn down an easy option (and naively thinking that I must have done rather well in the interview), I did as I was told and duly started with the firm in February 1986.
It was some time after I joined that Richard said to me, "You realise Picton (he always called me Picton), when we interviewed you we had no idea whether you were any good. But we offered you the job because we liked your name and thought it would add a bit of class to the firm".

And there was I thinking I must have impressed at the interview!"

Richard was elegant and charming and funny, the epitome of the English gentleman of his day. He loved Ashurst: its history and its people. We were a "City" firm in those days, and, as far as Richard was concerned, the best job in the world was to be a company lawyer at a City firm, and in particular at Ashurst. He will be remembered as a joy to work with: entertaining, great fun, clever and immensely loyal.

Dr Gerrit Clasen (1972–2026)

We are sorry to share the sad news that Dr Gerrit Clasen, Senior Counsel in the Corporate Transactions team in our Frankfurt office, passed away on 27 February 2026.

Gerrit joined Ashurst in June 2005 and was a valued member of the firm for over 20 years. He was an outstanding lawyer – and a person whose integrity and reliability were greatly valued by all who worked alongside him.

His colleagues in Frankfurt remember him below:

With Gerrit, we have lost a cherished member of the Ashurst family in Germany. His death has deeply affected us. To us, he was far more than a colleague: for almost 20 years, he was a companion, a friend and an integral part of our professional lives. Professionally, he was an outstanding adviser – precise, dependable, intelligent, and always courteous and considerate, even in the most difficult situations. Above all, Gerrit was someone you could always rely on.

Many of us associate him not only with shared work, but also with countless conversations, many years of friendship and a great deal of laughter. With his calm, understated manner, his humour and his remarkable humanity, he shaped our team like very few others.

Until the very end, Gerrit wanted above all to remain himself. That is how we will remember him – and as a lasting part of our team.
Our deepest sympathies go to Gerrit's family and all his loved ones. He leaves a void that will not easily be filled, but his memory will be cherished by all of us at Ashurst.  

Michael McGrowdie (1948-2026)

We are saddened to share the news that Michael McGrowdie, a former solicitor of Dawson Waldron — a legacy firm of Ashurst in Sydney — passed away on 29 April 2026, aged 77, following a twelve-month battle with cancer.

Michael began his legal career at Dawson Waldron, where he served his Articles of Clerkship with Peter Johnstone and David Somervaille under his Master Solicitor, Dennis Scott. He was later called to the New South Wales Bar, where he established chambers on the 4th floor of Wentworth Chambers in Phillip Street and built a distinguished defendants' practice in common law. He went on to serve as an acting Judge of the Compensation Court (2001–2003) and an acting Judge of the District Court (2004–2009), and held senior appointments with the Workers Compensation Commission and the Commonwealth Administrative Appeals Tribunal. At the time of his passing, Michael remained a sessional member and mediator of the Personal Injury Commission of New South Wales.

Beyond his judicial and tribunal service, Michael was a nationally accredited mediator and a graduate of Harvard University's advanced mediation programme. He also contributed to legal education as a lecturer in advocacy and Adjunct Professor at the University of Notre Dame Australia's Sydney law school.

Michael was the son of the celebrated jockey Noel "Digger" McGrowdie, who rode Straight Draw to victory in the 1957 Melbourne Cup.

He is survived by his two daughters, Rachel and Claire. Our thoughts are with his family, his many friends across the profession, and all who knew him.