Global law firms Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling have recently merged, forming one of the largest players within the legal sector. With this significant combination, the top leadership positions within the firm are now up for election, with as many as eight prominent partners competing for the roles of the managing partner and senior partner.
Khalid Garousha, the acting managing partner of Allen & Overy, has joined the race for the senior partner role. Garousha was appointed to this interim position following the abrupt exit of predecessor Gareth Price earlier in 2023. Global banking co-head Philip Bowden and David Lee, Chair of the global projects, energy, natural resources and infrastructure board, are also striving for the same position. Bowden, notably, has attempted to secure this role previously.
The contenders for the managing partner role are five in total, boasting an extensive range of both competencies and geographical representation: Hervé Ekué, the managing partner in Paris; Angela Clist, head of the firm’s advanced legal delivery service based in London; Vicki Liu, the managing partner from Hong Kong; New York’s David Lucking, who heads the global international capital markets; and Dirk Meeus, co-head of global corporate based in Brussels. Vicki Liu previously contended for the global managing partner role during the 2020 elections.
The newly elected leadership will embark on their term starting May 1, 2024, which is scheduled to last until April 30, 2028. Voting rights for these positions are limited to Allen & Overy partners. Additionally, the statement released by the firm reaffirmed that Shearman & Sterling partners are projected to hold “very significant leadership positions globally and regionally in the combined firm, including within the firm’s executive committee, board, practice group and regional leadership.”
More details about this internal leadership election can be found on Bloomberg Law.