Clifford Chance makes history in Senior Partner election

Clifford Chance announced the election of Jeroen Ouwehand as its Senior Partner in mid-week. A race that started with 5 candidates in the first round ended with Amsterdam office managing partner Ouwehand winning in a second round face-off with Paris office managing partner Yves Wehrli. History was made when all three London-based candidates pulled out of the race; global insurance head Katherine Coates and former capital markets head David Dunnigan doing so last week and former London managing partner David Bickerton withdrawing at the start of this week. This ensured the election for the first time ever of a non-London based Senior Partner. As head of litigation for continental Europe, Ouwehand is also the first-ever Senior Partner that is not a banking lawyer.

Squire Patton Boggs former London Managing Partner resigns

It has been a tumultuous few months for Robert Weekes, the former Managing Partner of Squire Patton Boggs’ London office. In April he stepped down as London head as global managing partner Stephen Mahon relocated from Cincinnati to London in a leadership reshuffle. Now, Weekes has resigned and left the firm. It is unclear at time of publishing this what the highly regarded litigator plans to do next.

Deloitte to launch legal arm at the start of next year

Accounting giant Deloitte is to launch its much-anticipated UK legal arm at the start of next year, according to The Lawyer. It is the only member of the ‘Big 4’ to not currently operate a legal arm in the UK. This news follows on from announcements made at the start of this year that Deloitte was looking to apply for an Alternative Business Structure (ABS) licence in order to set up legal operations in the country.

Fladgate significantly boosts London real estate practice, hiring 8 from CMS

Four senior associates, 3 associates and a support team member are leaving CMS’ real estate practice to join Fladgate’s. The departees will rejoin their former colleagues Alan Karsberg and Simon Kanter, both highly regarded legacy Olswang partners, who had made the same move last month. Senior associate James Norton makes partner as part of the move.

CMS cited client conflict issues to explain the move but it is worth noting that Fladgate has been investing heavily in growing its London office in the last few years. In 2018 alone at the senior level it has added, on top of the previously mentioned hires, property litigation partner Tim Foley from Clyde & Co, real estate partner Helen Curtis-Goulding from Mishcon de Reya, insolvency and restructuring lawyer Daniel Martin from Ropes & Gray, capital markets and resources partner Sandra bates from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, commercial and financial services litigation partner Ben Drew from Osborne Clarke as well as disputes and arbitration partner David Breslin from Gowling WLG.