Berwin Leighton Paisner’s longstanding managing partner Neville Eisenberg (pictured) is set to step down from the role after 16 years in the post.
Eisenberg, who was unopposed in 2012 when he was re-elected for a fifth term as BLP’s managing partner, recently announced to the partnership that he would not be standing for re-election when his term ends at the end of April 2015. Legal Business understands that one of the firm’s name partners, Harold Paisner, is looking to relinquish his post as senior partner, which Eisenberg will then seek.
Also chairman of the British Israel Law Association, Eisenberg is one of the longest serving managing partners in the legal sector. His decision to step down from the role will result in the first change in senior management at the firm since the merger of Berwin Leighton and Paisner in 2001, when Eisenberg and Paisner were installed as managing partner and senior partner respectively.
After a turbulent period following the financial crisis that saw BLP’s attempt to gain ground on the Magic Circle and improve the size of its mandates fail, Eisenberg guided the firm to improved revenue and profits per partner in the last financial year. Having untangled itself from long guarantees for incoming partners marketed as rainmakers, revenue recovered to £246m last year and PEP increased 35% to £542,000.
A spokesperson for BLP told Legal Business: ‘The managing partner election will take place before the end of April 2015 for the next term of office which starts on 1 May 2015. Neville Eisenberg has indicated his intention not to stand for re-election as managing partner but that he will remain at BLP in a different role.’
tom.moore@legalease.co.uk