Simon has nearly 20 years’ experience working in communications consultancies, having previously worked at Weber Shandwick and Bell Pottinger.

He has deep experience advising clients and their legal teams on a range of high-profile dispute resolution scenarios and other contentious situations. His practice spans commercial litigation, group claims (where he has acted on both the claimant and defendant sides), judicial reviews, and reputation management.

He is individually ranked by Chambers & Partners for both litigation communications and crisis management. He is a frequent speaker at industry events, including London International Disputes Week and Legal 500.

DRD is ranked in Band 1 for both litigation communications and crisis management by Chambers & Partners, and in Band 1 by Legal 500.

Simon follows another former Portland consultant, Jemimah Watkins, who joined DRD in May.

Commenting on his arrival at DRD, Simon said:

“I was immediately attracted to DRD’s clear and compelling vision: to be the best litigation and crisis shop in the business.

The communications market is evolving, and specialist agencies are punching well above their weight. Clients are looking for agile thinkers with specialist knowledge who can help them make sense of a rapidly changing world. DRD already has an impressive bench of consultants, and I am delighted to be in such well-respected company.”

Claire Davidson, Founding Partner at DRD, said:

“We are delighted that Simon has chosen to join DRD. This is an exciting time for our firm as we grow and double down on our core offerings, supporting clients domestically and internationally. We have ambitious plans and will be announcing further additions to the team in the near future, ensuring we have the breadth and depth of expertise to help clients achieve their objectives.”

Lawrence Dore, Founding Partner at DRD, added:

“Simon brings extensive experience advising top tier law firms and their clients. His arrival supports our ambition to be the firm of choice for clients requiring assistance in the most high profile and complex cases in the UK and internationally.”