Gateley IPO pioneer Ward to stand down as chief executive

Posted on | and
Gateley IPO pioneer Ward to stand down as chief executive

The man who led Gateley in its pioneering move to become the first UK law firm to float on the public markets is to step down as chief executive next year.

Michael Ward, who has spent over thirty years at Gateley, will be succeeded by the firm’s Manchester office head and leader of its national property team, Rod Waldie, from 1 May 2020. Ward will remain on the board of directors and lead Gateley’s non-legal businesses. Continue reading “Gateley IPO pioneer Ward to stand down as chief executive”

Mayhew secures new four-year term at BCLP with Pritchard ineligible to run again

Posted on |
Mayhew secures new four-year term at BCLP with Pritchard ineligible to run again

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) co-chair Lisa Mayhew has been elected to serve another four years in the role. Meanwhile, current co-chair Therese Pritchard was ineligible to serve another term and is to be succeeded by St Louis transactional partner Steven Baumer.

The terms for Mayhew and Baumer begin 1 January 2020 and will run four years, with Pritchard set to return to her practice after not being eligible to seek another term. Both Mayhew and Pritchard had led their legacy firms going into the transatlantic merger to create BCLP, which was completed 3 April 2018. Continue reading “Mayhew secures new four-year term at BCLP with Pritchard ineligible to run again”

Latham confirms death of Spain managing partner Juan Picón

Posted on |
Latham confirms death of Spain managing partner Juan Picón

Latham & Watkins’ Spain managing partner and former DLA Piper senior partner Juan Picón, one of his home country’s top commercial lawyers, has died of lymphoma cancer.

A post on Picón’s LinkedIn profile about a week ago mentioned a ‘new challenge’, referencing an article on Spanish business media El Confidencial talking about an ‘unforeseen health issue’ affecting Picón. Continue reading “Latham confirms death of Spain managing partner Juan Picón”

Ashurst, Slaughters and White & Case re-elect leaders as rivals ring in the change

Posted on |
Ashurst, Slaughters and White & Case re-elect leaders as rivals ring in the change

The recent spate of leadership elections has seen Ashurst, Slaughter and May and White & Case all sticking with tradition while Stephenson Harwood and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan bet on new leaders.

May saw Hugh Verrier’s term as White & Case chair extended to 16 years after he was re-elected for another four years at the helm of the New York-bred giant. First elected to the role in 2007, Verrier’s tenure has seen sustained growth for the firm, most strikingly in London, where the 2020 strategy led by partner Oliver Brettle, and its core ambition of taking on the Magic Circle in its own backyard, have paid dividends. Continue reading “Ashurst, Slaughters and White & Case re-elect leaders as rivals ring in the change”

Clydes senior partner Konsta to step down as firm grows revenue 11% in 2018/19

Posted on |
Clydes senior partner Konsta to step down as firm grows revenue 11% in 2018/19

Clyde & Co senior partner Simon Konsta (pictured) is to step down from his role in October just over half way into his five-year term.

The firm announced today (10 June) that Konsta will hand over to arbitration co-chair Peter Hirst, as it reported its 21st consecutive year of revenue growth to £611m in the year to 30 April, up 11% on £551.3m last year. Continue reading “Clydes senior partner Konsta to step down as firm grows revenue 11% in 2018/19”

If it ain’t broke: Verrier gets fourth term as White & Case chair

Posted on |
If it ain’t broke: Verrier gets fourth term as White & Case chair

Hugh Verrier’s term as White & Case chair will extend to 16 years after he was re-elected for another four years.

First elected to the helm in 2007, he will start his next stint in September, running until 2023. New York-based Verrier’s tenure has seen successive years of expansion recently, most notably in its London office. The firm declined to comment on whether the election was contested. Continue reading “If it ain’t broke: Verrier gets fourth term as White & Case chair”

Inflection point – Ashurst steps back from the brink but can the revival last?

Posted on | and
Inflection point – Ashurst steps back from the brink but can the revival last?

It was not all plain sailing,’ reflects Ben Tidswell, Ashurst’s chair, on the aftermath of its 2013 merger with Australia’s Blake Dawson. ‘But partners saw what we were trying to achieve and most wanted to be part of that. Now the firm is enjoying the success of that.’

Tidswell speaks with the palpable relief of one whose darkest days are behind him. The merged firm is now on the brink of revealing its best financial showing to date after years of indifferent or poor performance. Tidswell may well celebrate given the upheaval that preceded this inflection point, dwarfing any woes suffered by City rival Lovells following its 2010 union with Washington DC’s Hogan & Hartson. Continue reading “Inflection point – Ashurst steps back from the brink but can the revival last?”

Ted at the wheel – all change at Quinn in the City as East becomes senior partner as Greeno joins leadership

Posted on |

Disputes heavyweight Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has revamped its City leadership team, with Richard East vacating the co-managing partner role to become senior partner in London. Ted Greeno, meanwhile, has moved into the co-managing partner position to head the firm alongside longstanding co-head Sue Prevezer QC.

East had been the co-managing partner alongside Prevezer since the firm launched its London office in 2008. Under East’s joint stewardship, Quinn’s ascent has been impressive, with the LA-born litigation outfit growing revenues 220% between 2008 and 2018 throughout Asia and Europe. Continue reading “Ted at the wheel – all change at Quinn in the City as East becomes senior partner as Greeno joins leadership”

‘Keep doing it better’: Slaughters senior partner Cooke gets another three years

Posted on |
‘Keep doing it better’: Slaughters senior partner Cooke gets another three years

Highly-respected M&A practitioner Steve Cooke (pictured) has had his term as senior partner at Slaughter and May extended until 2024.

Cooke was first elected to senior partner at the City institution in 2016 for a five-year term after a long stint spearheading the firm’s M&A practice. His current term runs until 2021, with the extension meaning Cooke will have been in the role for eight years. Continue reading “‘Keep doing it better’: Slaughters senior partner Cooke gets another three years”

‘Engaged and energised’: Jenkins wins second term as Ashurst global managing partner

Posted on |
‘Engaged and energised’: Jenkins wins second term as Ashurst global managing partner

In another vote of confidence for Ashurst’s leadership, Paul Jenkins has been re-appointed as global managing partner for a second four-year term.

The appointment by the Ashurst board was the result of extensive consultations with the firm’s partners and staff, with Jenkins’ second run set to start on 1 November 2019. Continue reading “‘Engaged and energised’: Jenkins wins second term as Ashurst global managing partner”