Pinsent Masons names new senior partner; Orrick boosts London finance team

A rare partnership election means a new senior partner at Pinsent... Allens creates a new step on its career ladder... Squire Patton Boggs names public policy co-chairs... and Orrick boosts London finance team...

A rare partnership election means a new senior partner at Pinsent... Allens creates a new step on its career ladder... Squire Patton Boggs names public policy co-chairs... and Orrick boosts London finance team...

Foley takes the lead at Pinsent Masons
Richard Foley has been elected senior partner at Pinsent Masons, ending the nine-year reign of Chris Mullen. Contested elections are rare at Pinsent – the last one was in 1998 when David Ryan became MP – but in a campaign that laid out fresh ideas and ambitions for the firm, Foley represented a feeling that it was time for a change. Having spent many years with the firm; joining from legacy Masons; Foley has worked in the Asia practice, set up the energy sector team and takes up his new role having headed the construction division. Mullen has had a successful time in the senior role, having overseen growth in both size and revenue. There will be a managing partner election later this year, and there is likely to be a challenge there, too.
 
Allens creates new step on the career ladder
Allens has appointed 29 lawyers to the newly created role of "managing associate". This is the first round of appointments to the post and recognises lawyers with “exceptional legal, commercial and relationship skills". The appointments are mainly across Australia, and one in Vietnam, and cover multiple specialities across the business. The managing associate role is one step away from partner.
 
Squire Patton Boggs appoints new public policy chairs
Since the merger of Squire Sanders and Patton Boggs at the start of June, the former public policy division has become a fully integrated part of the firm, having been operated with a degree of autonomy while part of Patton Boggs. The co-chairs of the division have been confirmed as partners, Trent Lott, the former U.S. Senate Majority Leader and ex-Senate Deputy Minority Whip John Breaux.
 
Orrick continues expansion of London finance team
Orrick announced today that Michael Crosby will join the firm as a partner to head up the London-based English Law Banking and Finance Practice Group. Crosby is ranked as a leader in banking & finance by Chambers UK and joins Orrick from Proskauer, where he was head of finance. Bill Haft, Orrick’s leader of the Banking & Finance Practice Group said, "[Crosby] will be a tremendous asset to our cross-border teams, including our project finance and emerging markets practices in Europe, Africa and beyond". The firm has made various appointments in its London and New York offices recently, boosting its finance practice.