Norton Rose Fulbright (NRF) has today (24 September) formalised its leadership structure, with interim global managing partners Jeff Cody and Peter Scott to head a global management committee to coordinate regional leadership.
Under the new structure, US managing partner Cody and Europe, Middle East and Asia (EMEA) managing partner Scott will formally lead the firm, following almost 12 months as interim leaders.
They will continue to lead the global management committee established in their time as interim heads. Members of the committee include Australia chief executive Alison Deitz, Canada managing partner Jennifer Teskey, and South Africa chief executive office Brent Botha. All committee members including Cody and Scott will also retain their regional leadership positions.
Speaking with Legal Business, Scott emphasised the significance of this global interconnectivity for the global platform: ‘Bringing our regional leaders together through the global management committee enables us to assess our operations in a way that empowers local teams while aligning with our global ambitions. It’s about understanding market realities and directly connecting our regional leaders.’
Scott highlighted connectivity as a core strategic focus for the firm, alongside four other objectives: financial, brand, clients and diversity and engagements. ‘We want to ensure each region is focused on setting strategies and designing client initiatives that strengthen connections across our global network,’ he explained.
Cody added: ‘We’ve identified two key elements: cross-border work and multi-jurisdictional work. Our focus is on incentivising and encouraging our partners in that direction. We aim to foster deeper collaboration among our partners and lawyers across regions, all of that comes back to client service and meeting their global needs – that’s at the heart of it all.’
This formalisation clarifies leadership after the unexpected appointment of the US managing partner and EMEA head as interim co-chairs, following Gerry Pecht’s sudden resignation as global chief executive and partner last September, after 43 years with the firm.
Pecht succeeded Peter Martyr, who played a crucial role in guiding Norton Rose through its 2013 merger with US firm Fulbright & Jaworski, and left his position earlier than anticipated after nearly two decades of leadership. The interim tenure of Cody and Scott marked the first period of uncertainty in NRF’s global leadership since the merger.
While this formal appointment brings clarity and direction to the firm, it also introduces a new strategy of split leadership. Scott explained: ‘Having both myself and Jeff as co-heads reflects the reality of our business. Our different markets across regions mean that this structure better represents how we operate.’ He emphasised their close collaboration, stating, ‘We’re working together closely. While our regional responsibilities are distinct, we collaborate globally to ensure we’re as well set up as we can be.’
The firm highlighted energy and infrastructure, financial institutions, transport, technology, and healthcare and life sciences as key global growth sectors for the year ahead.
Meanwhile, Cody emphasised the firm’s growth initiative: ‘We are approaching each market aggressively, identifying talent that aligns with our culture to enhance our client offerings. Over the next 2-5 years, we will continue to grow and attract high-quality talent.’