First female chair at Norton Rose Fulbright… Partner rejoins Latham & Watkins in Hong Kong…
Former Aussie leader elected senior partner at global firm
Andrew Darwin, the former Australian managing partner at DLA Piper has been elected as the global firm’s senior partner.
His appointment was confirmed on Monday following a two-stage election process and he takes up the new role immediately. He will also be nominated to sit as co-chair of the firm’s global board.
"It is a great honour for me to be elected Senior Partner. I have spent my whole working career at the firm and I am very proud to have played a key role in the development of the global law firm it is today.”
Darwin joined the firm as a trainee in 1981, made partner in 1987 in the corporate group and went to hold several senior leadership roles including managing partner of the Australian arm of the firm from 2013.
He was also chief operating officer for the firm’s non-US operations until April 2017 when he became managing director of developing markets.
The firm’s head of corporate, Bob Bishop; and corporate partner Jon Hayes; were also in the running for senior partner following the departure of Juan Picon who left after 10 years to join Latham & Watkins.
First female chair at Norton Rose Fulbright
Norton Rose Fulbright’s head of Islamic finance in Europe is to become the firm’s next chair, marking a milestone as its first female in the role.
London-based banking and finance partner Farmida Bi will take up the chair in May for a three-year term, succeeding Stephen Parish, and will help to steer the firm through its 2020 business transformation program.
“I am privileged to be the first female partner to become Chair at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP,” commented Bi. “Following on from Stephen, and all that he has done for our business, is a great honour. I look forward to working with my talented colleagues around the world, building on our successes and the continued investment in our clients and people.”
Partner rejoins Latham & Watkins in Hong Kong
Capital markets partner Benjamin Lu is heading back to Latham & Watkins, in the corporate practice in Hong Kong.
Lu’s practice focuses on corporate and securities law matters, and he returns to Latham from Kirkland & Ellis.
“Ben is a highly regarded capital markets practitioner in the Greater China region, and we are very pleased to welcome him back to the firm,” said Josef Athanas, Office Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins in Hong Kong.
