More partners at Allen & Overy have been entrusted with significant responsibilities ahead of the law firm’s announced merger with Shearman & Sterling. The appointment of London-based banking partner, Denise Gibson, to serve as the merged entity’s UK managing partner was just one of the major announcements made by both firms. Dave Lewis, a partner with Allen & Overy in New York, will shoulder the responsibility of co-managing partner of the U.S., in collaboration with Doreen Lilienfeld from Shearman & Sterling.
Denise Gibson has been performing the role of co-head of the global leveraged finance group at Allen & Overy and has been a part of the firm’s banking practice as a partner since 2013. Dave Lewis possesses 23 years of experience with Allen & Overy and served as New York managing partner from 2017 to 2023. The two will now form part of the management team across the amalgamated entity.
The merged firm, christened A&O Shearman, will count among the giants of big law, with an impressive roster of approximately 3,900 attorneys and a combined gross revenue of $3.4 billion as of 2022. The top management at A&O Shearman will consist of senior and managing partners Khalid Garousha and Hervé Ékué, both from Allen & Overy. In a strategic move, Adam Hakki from Shearman will take on the role of chair for the combined firm’s U.S. business, while also serving as the co-chair of the global Board and Executive Committee.
Interestingly, several partners have departed both firms in the run-up to the merger. A noteworthy departure was that of Damian Carolan, who used to lead Allen & Overy’s UK financial services regulatory practice. More details about his departure can be found in a separate report.
The new appointments are expected to further streamline operations following the merger, scheduled to go live Wednesday. For more information on these appointments and the merger, please refer to the full report available on Bloomberg Law.