Goodwin has named funds partner Ajay Pathak (pictured) as its new London co-chair to replace Paul Lyons, who is stepping down after five years in the role.
Pathak, who is ranked as a leading individual in The Legal 500, will lead the office alongside current co-chair Gemma Roberts, who succeeded Samantha Lake Coghlan in 2021.
During Lyons’ tenure as co-head since 2017, the Boston-bred firm’s City arm has grown significantly. Last year the office generated 8.2% of the firm’s global revenue after a 63% spike in turnover to $161.8m from $99.1m in 2020.
This year, the firm has continued its growth trajectory. It added new practices to its UK offering with the hire of capital markets partner Ariel White-Tsimikalis in January from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, antitrust and competition partner Sarah Jordan in March from Kirkland & Ellis, and this month, executive compensation partner Saba Rais from Macfarlanes and employment partner Alex Fisher from Travers Smith.
Other significant hires for 2022 included real estate partner Eric Lim, life sciences licensing partner Morag Peberdy, regulatory partner Andrew Henderson and finance partner Ed Saunders. This followed its 2021 nine-partner hiring spree.
Pathak takes over the role as the firm prepares for its move into a larger City office next year, he said: ‘We now have over 200 lawyers compared to just shy of 40 when I joined in 2017. That growth has been very focused around five key client industries, namely life sciences, technology, private equity, real estate and financial services, and the convergence between them. This strategy has allowed us to better serve our clients globally and puts us in a strong position as we look forward to the next chapter for the London office.’
According to Pathak, one of his top priorities over the coming year will be maintaining a strong firm culture following the office’s recent growth: ‘We have a real emphasis on people and culture. When you grow as quickly as we have in London, it’s even more important to ensure that we don’t forget the importance of our culture and the importance of creating a diverse firm.
‘We’re living in a new world now of hybrid working, which is clearly a positive in many ways, but is another reason why we need to maintain our focus on our relationships with our people, and indeed our clients.’
Since joining the firm from King & Wood Mallesons in 2017, Pathak has also played an active role in championing young talent at the firm. He highlighted its recent 10-strong London promotions round as a testament to the quality of its people and how optimistic the firm feels about its growth potential in the City.
Looking forward, Pathak is confident about where the firm is positioned. He concluded: ‘We do not know as yet exactly what the next year holds in store, but we are confident that our deep industry focus means that we are well-placed placed to help our clients navigate through what could be more challenging times.’
