Brownlow departs CC and forces early vote for COO

Senior Clifford Chance corporate partner Jeremy Brownlow is retiring, leaving a vacancy on the firm's management board. He will go at the end of this month after 22 years of partnership.

His departure means the vote for a new chief operating officer to replace Garth Pollard must take place in April, as Brownlow is the board member responsible for managing the election.

The news came as Clifford Chance partners gathered from around the globe for a special partnership meeting in West London on Saturday (31 March), where senior management unveiled its strategy for the future. It is thought that this included a renewed commitment to corporate finance work.