After Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer veterans Edward Braham and Christopher Pugh (pictured) canvassed separately and were set to go head-to-head for the firm’s senior partner elections, the duo have united on a single platform and are campaigning to lead the firm together.
Corporate partner Braham is running for the firm’s senior partner role and, if elected, will have former disputes head Pugh serving as managing partner. The duo have been described as the ‘frontrunners’ in the race.
Against them are an Anglo-German duo, corporate partner Simon Marchant, who will be running against Braham for the senior partner seat, alongside Germany and Austria regional managing partner Klaus-Stefan Hohenstatt, who would take on the managing partner position. Another team comprising two German-based partners are also in the running.
All candidates attended hustings at the firm’s partner conference in Paris last week, where teams were pitched to the partnership and were required to receive a minimum 5% of a partnership vote to become an official nominee.
A full partnership vote is set to take place in the next two weeks with the new leadership replacing current senior partner Will Lawes and managing partner David Aitman who will both stand down at the end of this year. The management handover period will begin in October and will last three months.
jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk