FOOT Anstey has announced five new partners from May.

John Catchpole, Rebecca Kibby, Mark Li, Adam McKenna and Christian Silk will be promoted next month, taking the total number of partners at the firm to 54.

Martin Hirst, who will become the firm's managing partner on May 1, said: "The number of promotions we are making underlines the continued strength of the firm and the scale of our ambitions for future growth.

"All these promotions are the result of their track records for delivering high quality advice and service to our clients, their reputation and knowledge of their sectors, and their outstanding contributions to our firm and our communities."

John Catchpole specialises in delivering complex real estate projects for clients, particularly in the energy and infrastructure and developer sectors.

His work as lead for Foot Anstey's space and satellite team has helped to build a strong reputation for the firm in this innovative and highly specialised market.

As chief executive and head of conveyancing services, Rebecca Kibby oversees a team of 70 within the firm's real estate group that provides services to developer, Islamic finance and private wealth sector clients.

Mark Li specialises in high-value, complex commercial property transactions, and the management of operational property portfolios. Acting for public and private sector infrastructure developers and owners in the transport and energy spheres has seen him play a leading role in Foot Anstey's energy and infrastructure sector work relating to electric vehicles and mobility services.

Adam McKenna trained and qualified with Foot Anstey and is a founding member of its private equity sector team, which he leads with his experience in advising portfolio businesses on bolt-on acquisitions and implementing buy and build strategies.

As head of strategic infrastructure planning at Foot Anstey, Christian Silk specialises in all aspects of planning and environmental law and has expertise across its developer, energy and infrastructure sectors and its space and satellite and ports focus areas. He has built a significant reputation as an expert on the nitrates and phosphates issue impacting developers in many parts of the UK, as well as other key environmental matters, including natural capital solutions, net zero and the energy transition.