Saffery names Nigel Burke as new chairman

Saffery has elected Nigel Burke to the role of chairman on Friday 15 November for a four-year term. 

Burke has previously served in the elected position of deputy chairman, and has been with Saffery since the establishment of its film and TV unit in 2012. In that time, the unit has grown into a team of 89 professionals, including eight partners, working with clients from across the sector. 

Based in the firm’s London office, Burke will continue to advise clients from across the film and TV sector alongside his duties as chairman. This will include continuing to serve on the firm’s partnership committee which he has done since 2019, as well as helping to oversee the management of the firm in close collaboration with managing partner Matthew Burton.

James Sykes, the outgoing chairman, served two terms in the role after first being elected in 2016. During his tenure, the 169-year-old firm has grown organically with fee income that has doubled to £142m in 2024. 

A specialist in advising wealthy private clients, including families with landed estates, Sykes will remain a full-time client partner at the firm. 

Matthew Burton, managing partner at Saffery, said: “Ever since joining the firm, Nigel has been a constant source of expertise, insight and leadership – and he has been instrumental in helping to integrate and grow our media and entertainment offering which continues to go from strength to strength and is a key pillar within our long-term strategy. We are very pleased to have him serving as the new chairman of Saffery.

“I would like to express our gratitude to James Sykes for his hard work and the vision that he brought to the role of chairman over the past eight years. He has been a source of wise counsel during some significant challenges, and we look forward to his continuing contribution as a member of the partnership.”

Burke added: “I am pleased and honoured to have been elected by my colleagues to serve as the new chairman of Saffery. This is a truly exciting time for our firm as we continue to consolidate our position in our chosen markets and across key economic centres of the UK – a strategy which has seen the firm deliver impressive growth in recent years. 

“I look forward to working with Matthew and the wider leadership team, and helping to drive forward our strategic plan through the next stage of the Saffery journey.”