Andrew Trahair, Allen & Overy’s (A&O) former banking co-head, has been enlisted to head the firm’s Advanced Delivery technology and consulting group a week after its Peerpoint chief executive stood down.
Trahair, who was co-head of A&O’s banking practice from 2008 to 2016, will lead the firm’s dedicated resources and technology services group, which includes flexible lawyering platform Peerpoint and tech innovator Fuse.
Trahair, who has been at the firm for nearly three decades, was also in the running for managing partner but was pipped to the post by Andrew Ballheimer in 2016.
The move comes after Richard Punt, chief executive of Peerpoint, last week stepped down from his role after more than four years. Peerpoint founder and managing director Ben Williams and Asia-Pacific head Carolyn Aldous will take his place.
The Magic Circle firm is aiming to increase crossover between these tech initiatives with its mainstream legal advisory services to expedite the creation of new client solutions.
The Advanced Delivery group will work closely with the A&O’s regulatory tech division, the Markets Innovation Group; Consulting, its strategic advisory and consulting arm; and its online cross border legal information subscription business, aosphere.
Angela Clist, A&O’s securitisation partner and co-head of the global financial institutions group, has also been appointed as head of the Legal Services Centre, also part of the Advanced Delivery Group.
She will take over the role at the firm’s cost-efficient hub in Belfast to replace Jane Townsend when she retires.
The group also includes the eDiscovery team (offering document review and analysis for litigation and investigations), the Project Management Office (managing matters that involve scoping, planning, budgeting, executing and reviewing) and the Legal Technology Group.
Wim Dejonghe, A&O’s global senior partner, commented: ‘Advanced resourcing, technology and our client solution capabilities are core to the firm’s strategic vision. These senior appointments reflect the seriousness of our commitment to accelerate our level of investment in these areas.’
Trahair said: ‘Allen & Overy is committed to innovation and we are widely recognised for being a market leader in advanced resourcing, technology and client solutions. Our Advanced Delivery group is part of our forward looking philosophy that allows us to align our expertise and tackle client challenges in a way that goes beyond what law firms have conventionally done.’
Dejonghe said of Punt’s exit: ‘Richard has been instrumental in the success of Peerpoint, which is the market-leading consultant lawyer business and is at the heart of A&O’s Advanced Delivery capability. We will miss his energy and intellect and wish him every success in the future.’