Ashurst leadership elections draw to a close as board and ExCo unveiled

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Ashurst’s lengthy governance elections have come to a close as the top 15 firm announces the results of its final board elections and unveils the members of its executive committee (ExCo).

The 1006-lawyer firm’s new board comprises fourteen members from Ashurst and Big Six Australian merger partner Blake Dawson, with the eight newly-elected members announced today (5 November) including competition partner Peter Armitage and corporate partner Ian Williams in Sydney; London corporate partner Simon Beddow; Madrid real estate partner Cristina Calvo; Perth corporate partner Roger Davies; Frankfurt corporate partner Reinhard Eyring; Hong Kong corporate partner Robert Ogilvy Watson and London banking partner Mark Vickers. Continue reading “Ashurst leadership elections draw to a close as board and ExCo unveiled”

Ashurst says ‘no’ to Geffen for chairman in surprise election result

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A popular long-term board member with the social skills needed to pull together a newly-merged transcontinental firm, Ashurst’s October announcement that dispute resolution partner Ben Tidswell has been elected chairman, is nonetheless a shock defeat for incumbent firm head Charlie Geffen.

In a simple ‘one partner, one vote’ election, the emergence of Ashurst Australia’s competition and consumer protection partner Peter Armitage as a contender for the top job had turned the election into a three-horse race.

However, Geffen, whose current senior partner title was subsumed by the new chairman role after newly-merged Ashurst Australia revised its corporate strategy in July, was widely expected to be re-elected.

Continue reading “Ashurst says ‘no’ to Geffen for chairman in surprise election result”

Homeward bound: Burke hands Freshfields’ reins to Aitman as he leaves for Boston-based ArcLight Capital

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‘I’ve held a number of management roles in the firm, which, together with having recently chaired our supervisory body, should help me take on the new role and ensure a smooth transition,’ says Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s new global managing partner David Aitman, as he steps into the sizeable shoes of veteran Ted Burke, following his recent decision to stand down.

Aitman was said to be the standout candidate, having previously chaired Freshfields’ partnership election committee and currently acting as senior elected member of the partnership council.

The competition partner, who will stand as managing partner until the role goes to a vote in 2015, will come off the council to avoid a conflict of interest as a vote on his replacement takes place at the end of this year.

Continue reading “Homeward bound: Burke hands Freshfields’ reins to Aitman as he leaves for Boston-based ArcLight Capital”

Burns to maintain Clydes’ expansive form as he takes charge of insurance giant

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Jaishree Kalia talks to Clyde & Co’s new senior partner as veteran head Payton hands over the baton after 29 years

There are succession issues and succession issues. James Burns, the incoming senior partner at Clyde & Co, is facing the latter category as he takes the helm of the world’s largest legal insurance specialist, which has been one of the most successful UK practices of the last decade and run by a respected figure for nearly three decades.

Two years on from the top-15 firm’s merger with Barlow Lyde & Gilbert (BLG), its strategy is to grow its disputes practice, expand internationally (on the back of significant expansion this year) and gear up for its next global management board election.

Continue reading “Burns to maintain Clydes’ expansive form as he takes charge of insurance giant”

The ideal law firm for 2013? Eversheds hunts for its breakthrough

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With an enviable brand reach, warm feedback from clients and a focus on innovation and value, Eversheds should be sweeping all before it. Legal Business explores why it hasn’t been quite that simple

Next year marks the 100th anniversary of Evershed & Tomkinson, the Birmingham firm that lent its name to the high-profile institution of which it would become part in 1995. Backed by a large regional network and a sizeable London arm Eversheds – as it became known – has grown to be one of the most recognisable names in the UK market.

Continue reading “The ideal law firm for 2013? Eversheds hunts for its breakthrough”

Old and new faces: Squire Sanders re-elects UK and US heads while Dentons appoints new chief executive

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Squire Sanders has re-appointed Peter Crossley and Stephen Mahon to their respective European and firm-wide managing partner roles in a week that has also seen Dentons elect its Warsaw managing partner, Tomasz Dabrowski, as the new European chief executive seven months after its tripartite merger went live.

For Squire Sanders, the re-election of Crossley and Mahon, which were appointed by the firm’s UK and US LLP management committees, will see the duo undertake a further three-year term beginning 1 January 2014.

Having served two terms as legacy Hammonds’ managing partner, Crossley took up the role of European managing partner when the firm merged with US firm Squire Sanders & Dempsey in January 2011. Continue reading “Old and new faces: Squire Sanders re-elects UK and US heads while Dentons appoints new chief executive”

With no time off for good behaviour Baker’s outgoing City head joins global giant’s exec body

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Where do veteran law firm leaders go after a stint at the top? Another stint near the top in the case of Gary Senior, the veteran former London managing of Baker & McKenzie, who recently handed over to Paul Rawlinson.

The 4,000-lawyer firm announced today (28 October) that Senior had been elected to serve on Baker’s global executive committee, taking the place of fellow London-based partner Beatriz Araujo, whose term on the body has ended.

Continue reading “With no time off for good behaviour Baker’s outgoing City head joins global giant’s exec body”

Major milestone for CC global MP elections as Layton, Wehrli and Carnegie go forward

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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. Continue reading “Major milestone for CC global MP elections as Layton, Wehrli and Carnegie go forward”

Ashurst leadership contest – Mary Padbury for vice chairman

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The latest instalment of Ashurst’s senior management elections has seen Ashurst Australia’s chair Mary Padbury voted in as vice chair of the newly-merged firm just days after partners said no to incumbent head Charlie Geffen for the chair role in favour of Ben Tidswell.

Padbury, who was widely-tipped for the vice chair post, held a number of management roles at legacy Australia Big Six firm Blake Dawson, which formally merged with Ashurst in September, including as the firm’s resident London partner from 2001 to 2003 and as an executive partner with responsibility for the firm’s national corporate, competition and intellectual property practices from 2003 to 2005.
Continue reading “Ashurst leadership contest – Mary Padbury for vice chairman”

Ashurst says no to Geffen for chairman in surprise election result

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A popular long term board member with the social skills needed to pull together a newly-merged transcontinental firm, Ashurst’s announcement today (16 October) that outside runner, dispute resolution partner Ben Tidswell has been elected as chairman, is nonetheless a shock defeat for incumbent firm head Charlie Geffen.

After a simple ‘one partner, one vote’ election, the emergence of Ashurst Australia’s competition and consumer protection partner Peter Armitage as a contender for the top job had turned the election into a three horse race.

However, Geffen, whose current senior partner title was subsumed by the new chairman role after newly-merged Ashurst Australia revised its corporate strategy in July, was widely expected to be re-elected. Continue reading “Ashurst says no to Geffen for chairman in surprise election result”