Holly Hirst is the firm’s chief people officer and is based in our London office. She leads our global people strategy and works closely with management to refine best practices, maximise the employee experience, and reinforce the firm’s commitment to outstanding client service.
Holly is an esteemed HR professional with over twenty years of experience, predominantly in the legal sector. She has held senior roles at Linklaters and Herbert Smith Freehills. Before joining Harneys in 2025, she ran her own HR Consultancy.
Throughout her career, Holly has delivered innovative HR solutions and implemented best practices that have elevated orga
...Holly Hirst is the firm’s chief people officer and is based in our London office. She leads our global people strategy and works closely with management to refine best practices, maximise the employee experience, and reinforce the firm’s commitment to outstanding client service.
Holly is an esteemed HR professional with over twenty years of experience, predominantly in the legal sector. She has held senior roles at Linklaters and Herbert Smith Freehills. Before joining Harneys in 2025, she ran her own HR Consultancy.
Throughout her career, Holly has delivered innovative HR solutions and implemented best practices that have elevated organisational culture and inclusivity. She has worked with Magic Circle law firms to coach and guide professionals at all career stages, fostering personal and business growth.
Her notable achievements include designing and launching contribution frameworks for all levels and roles, executing global talent programmes, and leading firmwide cultural initiatives, such as the launch of new values. She is passionate about employee engagement and has run numerous surveys and interactive sessions, which, amongst other things, led to the creation of a DEI champion group and a new approach to performance management and appraisals. She has also crafted gender and race action plans to ensure meaningful progress toward greater inclusivity.
