Regional law firm Gardner Leader has appointed Sarah Hunt as its new HR Director, reinforcing its commitment to being a leading legal services provider across the south of England.
Since 2023, Gardner Leader’s team has expanded by 19%, with the firm now employing more than 200 staff members across seven locations. Offices include Newbury, Thatcham, and Maidenhead in Berkshire, Swindon in Wiltshire, as well as Oxford, Windsor, and London. The firm’s legal professionals operate within six specialist teams, delivering expert services to both businesses and individuals.
Sarah’s appointment reflects the firm’s focus on strengthening its reputation as an employer of choice. Gardner Leader remains committed to attracting and retaining top legal talent by upholding high standards of performance, accountability, and transparency. This commitment extends to employee benefits, best practices, and social and environmental responsibility. The firm actively supports initiatives that benefit the community, charities, and sustainability efforts.
With over 30 years’ experience, Sarah’s background includes working in both SME and large corporate environments across a variety of sectors, including utilities, financial services and IT services under both private and public ownership. Before joining Gardner Leader, Sarah held positions at Thames Water, Prudential, and at IT provider ESP Global Services.
Sarah’s expertise includes HR transformation, including building HR functions and people focussed strategies from the ground up. She is also skilled in delivering a full suite of HR policies and systems, covering employee relations, learning and development, training programmes, reward, recruitment, performance and line management, and employment law.
Gardner Leader’s HR Director, Sarah Hunt, said: “Since joining Gardner Leader’s team I’ve been particularly struck by the firm’s culture and its caring, inclusive approach to all its employees. I’m looking forward to getting to know the team and the firm, and ensuring we have the right HR strategy in place to support our ambitious goals and the right mixture of tools to help drive the highest levels of engagement across the firm.
“People spend a lot of time in the workplace and it’s important that they feel valued and fairly treated, enjoy what they do, have opportunities to learn and grow, and understand how they contribute to the success of the business. HR plays a key function in delivering this and ensuring that employees and the business succeed.”
Managing Partner, Derek Rodgers added: “It’s fantastic to have someone of Sarah’s stature bring such a wealth of expertise and knowledge to our team. As we continue to grow, attracting and retaining the best talent remains a priority. Sarah has hands-on experience in establishing effective pathways for professional development and building strong, people-focused cultures. We look forward to the positive impact Sarah will have on our team and our firm’s future success.”