Clifford Chance (CC) has reached the first major milestone in its global managing partner elections, with the nominations stage now closed and global head of corporate Matthew Layton, Paris managing partner Yves Wehrli and real estate finance partner Andrew Carnegie confirmed as the three candidates going forward.
Hustings will begin shortly and the first round of voting will occur in early to mid-November. Partners will expect to receive the candidates’ manifestos in the next few days.
Layton is widely tipped as the favourite for the top role, as one ex-partner told Legal Business in early October: ‘It’s a slam dunk – it’s going to be Matthew Layton. Everyone said if Matthew stands, he would be elected. He’s perceived to have done a very good job, in very difficult circumstances. People put aside their views on any particular practice area.’
The successor will take over on 1 May 2014 from Childs, who himself took over as managing partner on 1 May 2006 and has been widely credited with taking a more pro-active stance than his predecessor Peter Cornell, particularly in taking tough decisions to co-ordinate and manage its international offering.
Names put forward as possible candidates for the managing partner role had included CC’s corporate finance partner David Harkness and high-profile head of litigation and dispute resolution Jeremy Sandelson, who in early October was re-elected for a further four-year term in an uncontested election.
CC declined to comment.
sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk
