24 May 2007 – LAWFUEL – The Law News Wire – International law firm Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP is pleased to announce a number of key management changes within its London office. These changes are imperative to achieving further growth and success in London and globally.
Sean Connolly is appointed Senior Partner, London with effect from 3 September. Over the past two years he has headed the Strategic Committee for the firm’s London office. His role on the firm’s worldwide executive committee and his extensive management experience ensure he is an ideal person for the role. He will assume responsibility for the London office operations from Paul Maher. Paul becomes Vice-Chairman on 1 June and will divide his time between his managerial role and fee-earning work. Sean is highly rated by both clients and the independent legal directories alike for his approach to major complex, and often multi-jurisdictional, litigation. He has experience in the full range of alternative dispute resolution techniques, and is well-recognised in the industry for his advice relating to professional indemnity, product liability and for his work in the financial institutions sector. Chambers UK has cited Sean as “a pleasure to deal with and always has a solution,” while the UK Legal 500 has referred to him as having “one of the best reputations in the market.”
Jeremy Clay is appointed as Executive Partner, London with effect from 1 June. Jeremy is head of the firm’s European Real Estate Group and joint head of the firm’s Global Real Estate Group. This newly created senior management position in London will support Sean in running the London office. He focuses on structured investment and development transactions, with recent projects including investment and development transactions in Germany, Italy and the US. Chambers UK, 2007 comments that Jeremy “typifies the common-sense ethos of the firm, and is dubbed an ‘exceptional lead lawyer, providing practical advice on complex issues and really delivering to a tight schedule when needs be.'” Further he is described as “the best business person I have worked with in any law firm” by a client in the UK Legal 500, 2006.
Karen Abbott is appointed head of the Strategy Committee in London with immediate effect. As head of the firm’s Reinsurance practice, she has a wide range of experience in a number of highly sensitive multi-jurisdictional reinsurance matters involving all types of reinsurance contracts, as well as advising captives in relation to reinsurance programmes. In addition, Karen has in-depth knowledge of professional indemnity risks and product liability programmes. Working closely with the Finance, Corporate and Financial Restructuring & Insolvency Groups on cross-practice insurance and reinsurance issues, Karen also has a liaison role across the global firm on insurance industry-facing initiatives. Clients are agreed according to Chambers UK, 2007 that Karen is “Charismatic” and that she “…possesses sound business judgment and knows ‘the right balance of when to be tough and when to be reasonable.'”
Andrew Stewart is appointed head of the Finance Committee in London with immediate effect. Andy has had operational responsibility for the running of the London Corporate group for many years, has been a member of the London Finance Committee since its inception. He was a part of the small group of partners charged with integration following the merger between Rowe & Maw and Mayer, Brown & Platt. He has led significant M&A, joint venture and outsourcing transactions for many of the firm’s major clients, including recently the largest HR global outsourcing transaction to date, and plays a key role in the management of many of the office’s major client relationships.
Peter Dickinson is appointed as London Head of Corporate with effect from 1 June. Peter is currently the head of the Communications practice in London. He has been a member of the London Strategy Committee since its inception. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and large scale sourcing transactions for a wide range of the firm’s major corporate clients. He is a widely acknowledged leader in the telecoms industry, and referred to as a “deal doer of note” in the UK Legal 500, 2006 and, according to Chambers UK, 2007, “clients praise his personable and solution-funding approach to issues.”
David Allen is appointed sole head of Litigation & Dispute Resolution in London and is noted as jointly leading this team to date by both the UK Legal 500 and Chambers UK. His particular area of expertise is Commercial Dispute Resolution, specialising in the handling of substantial disputes for banks, insolvency practitioners and corporate clients, with particular expertise in banking and insolvency litigation. Chambers UK, 2007 cites his “strong reputation as a personable, commercial litigator who has excellent ties with the USA.”
Sean Connolly comments: “I am delighted to have been given this opportunity and I look forward to working with an excellent senior management team in London and our talented and highly experienced practice group leaders. Jeremy has a very commercial outlook and a great understanding of how businesses work, Karen will bring tremendous skills to bear on her vital strategic role, and Andy is highly regarded by the partners and his clients in London and his analytical and interpersonal skills will be a great asset to us. Furthermore, Peter is an excellent practitioner, he knows the corporate team inside out and will make an excellent head of practice, and David’s credentials are well-established, with years of experience co-leading the Litigation and Dispute Resolution team. We have all worked closely together for a number of years and focusing on how to take the business forward together should be a rewarding challenge for us all.”
Paul Maher, Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw’s Vice-Chairman, effective 1 June, commented: “A firm cannot begin to operate effectively without a strong management team. We are privileged to have some of the most commercial and business-focused lawyers in the profession taking our London business forward. Working together we plan to build on and develop Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw’s solid reputation and client base in the UK as well as across Europe and worldwide. My role will work very closely with the management team in London and the other offices around the firm, but at the same time it enable me to continue to be available for clients.”
