Nigel Knowles
{{Short description|English law co-chairman}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
Sir Nigel Knowles is the former global co-chairman of the law firm DLA Piper and since 2017 newly appointed Chairman of DWF LLP.{{cite web|url=http://www.dlapiper.com/global/about/firm_leadership/|title=Firm Leadership|accessdate=25 October 2010|publisher=DLA Piper|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924073940/http://www.dlapiper.com/global/about/firm_leadership/|archivedate=24 September 2012}}{{cite news|url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article3680682.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516192006/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article3680682.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 May 2008|title=Nigel Knowles|access-date=25 October 2010|work=The Times|date=21 April 2008}} He is also Chairman of OneDome, a fast growing fintech business based in the UK. {{cite web|url=https://www.uktechnews.info/2020/09/24/onedome-secures-5-million-series-a-investment/ |title= OneDome secures £5 million Series a investment}}
He was also appointed as the Chairman of recruitment firm Brewster Partners before resigning on 25 November 2021{{Cite web|title=CITYROAD LIMITED people - Find and update company information - GOV.UK|url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/04842988/officers|access-date=2021-12-02|website=find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk|language=en}} following allegations of furlough fraud made by whistle blowers and reported by The Times newspaper and the BBC.{{Cite news|last=Ellery|first=George Greenwood, Ben|title=Knight's firm Brewster Partners may face investigation for 'furlough fraud'|newspaper=The Times|language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/knights-firm-brewster-partners-may-face-investigation-for-furlough-fraud-zc8jx9p3s|access-date=2021-12-02|issn=0140-0460}}{{Cite news|last=Ellery|first=George Greenwood, Ben|title=Knighted director quits firm accused of furlough fraud|newspaper=The Times|language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/nigel-knowles-quits-brewster-partners-2j58lx3j0|access-date=2021-12-02|issn=0140-0460}}{{Cite news|date=2021-11-09|title=Recruitment firm wrongly claimed furlough as staff worked, ex-employees say|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59228521|access-date=2021-12-02}}
Life
He was educated at the University of Sheffield, where he studied law, and joined Broomhead & Neals as an articled clerk in 1978.{{cite news|url=http://www.thelawyer.com/sir-nigel-knowles-knight-exemplar/136252.article|title=Sir Nigel Knowles: Knight exemplar|accessdate=25 October 2010|publisher=The Lawyer|date=12 January 2009}}
In 1996 he was appointed as managing partner of what was then Dibb Lupton Broomhead. In 2005 he became joint chief executive officer of DLA Piper following a three-way merger between DLA and U.S. law firms Piper Rudnick and Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich LLP.{{cite news|url=http://www.mpmagazine.com/xq/asp/txtSearch.jobs/exactphrase.1/sid.0/articleid.A8A74481-1743-4EAC-A93B-03E9E2521554/qx/display.htm|title=The knight's tale: Sir Nigel Knowles|accessdate=25 October 2010|publisher=Managing Partner|date=24 April 2009}}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He was knighted in March 2009.{{cite news|url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article6662357.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612003605/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article6662357.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 June 2011|title=Yorkshire lawyer Sir Nigel Knowles took on the world and won|access-date=25 October 2010|work=The Times|date=8 July 2009}}
In 2016 he was picked to serve as High Sheriff of Greater London for one year,{{cite web|url= http://www.highsheriffs.com/Greater%20London/Index.htm|title= Greater London 2016/2017|publisher= High Sheriffs Association|accessdate= 5 December 2016|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161231030812/http://www.highsheriffs.com/Greater%20London/Index.htm|archive-date= 31 December 2016|url-status= dead}} and joined the advisory board for the legal communication platform,"[https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/boost-thelinkapp-knowles-joins-advisory-board Boost for TheLinkApp as Knowles joins advisory board]". legalfutures.co.uk. Retrieved 27 January 2020. [https://thelinkapp.com/ The Link App].
Sir Nigel is also the current Chairman of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, a role that works with the private and public sector within the Sheffield City Region to drive economic growth across the nine local council areas that comprise the Sheffield City Region. Sir Nigel is also the current Chairman of [BioSURE]a company which manufactures COVID-19 lateral flow tests. He works closely with the BioSure team to set the strategy and direction, and advises on how best to scale up the business internationally quickly and effectively.{{Cite news|url=https://www.biosure.co.uk/team/sir-nigel-knowles-chairman/|title = Sir Nigel Knowles| newspaper=Biosure UK }}