The Legal Business Awards > Categories > Management Partner of the Year

At a glance

2019 Winner

  • Nick Thomas

2019 Shortlisted

  • Richard Crump - HIGHLY COMMENDED | HFW
  • Ray Berg | Osborne Clarke
  • Chris Hale/David Patient | Travers Smith
  • Peter Hasson | Clyde & Co
  • Philip Rodney | Burness Paull

Previous Years

Select a year below to download a .pdf of the previous winners and nominees.

Management Partner of the Year

The winner of this award will be a UK-based managing partner, senior partner, head of chambers, chief executive or chief operating officer who has truly led the way for their business in 2019. Key factors influencing our judging panel include market profile, outstanding strategic thinking, superb communication skills and the extent to which individuals have the support of staff and clients in driving the firm’s business forward.

2019 Winner

Nick Thomas

Kennedys

In revenue growth terms, far and away the top-performing firm in the 26-50 bracket of the LB100 was Kennedys, which recorded a 31% rise in global turnover and 14% for UK income. Thomas, who was re-elected to serve a fifth five-year term as senior partner to run from 2017, has overseen some significant expansion, with revenues growing 68% over the past five years.

Shortlisted

Richard Crump - HIGHLY COMMENDED


HFW

When Crump was first elected senior partner in May 2007, Holman Fenwick Willan was a 240-lawyer shipping firm with just eight offices around the world. Barely a decade later, HFW is a thriving, multi-sector business with more than 600 lawyers and 20 offices across five continents. The firm’s revenue has almost tripled during his leadership, increasing from £67.7m to £179.1m.

Ray Berg


Osborne Clarke

In 2018 OC elected its UK managing partner Berg to a second term in a glowing endorsement of the firm’s growth since his first term began in 2015. The most recent financial results confirmed a five-year average of double-digit revenue growth, as global turnover rose 14% to €273m: it has increased 112% since 2013, making OC one of the top performers in the LB100 over that time.

Chris Hale/David Patient


Travers Smith

Managing partner David Patient and senior partner Chris Hale formed an experienced duo at the helm of Travers Smith during arguably its most successful period, with the former in place since 2015 and the latter since 2013. For Travers, 2017/18 was its ninth consecutive year of growth, yielding an 18% uptick in turnover to £146.9m and a 24% surge in profit per equity partner to £1.2m.

Peter Hasson


Clyde & Co

Consistently cited as a much-needed business-savvy leader since becoming a non-lawyer chief executive, Hasson has played a crucial role in developing the firm since 1997. He has ensured Clydes has been a commercial success despite considerable market headwinds – the 2017/18 turnover of £551.3m means the firm’s revenue has grown by nearly 200% on a ten-year track.

Philip Rodney


Burness Paull

In 2018 Rodney stepped down as chairman and figurehead of a firm he shaped into a Scottish business leader over a 12-year period. During that time, he led Burness through a transformative merger with Aberdeen’s Paull & Williamsons, which redefined the Caledonian top tier and placed his firm as one of the three leading independents in a highly competitive market.