Camerons hands Weston second term as managing partner

Weston, who was standing unopposed, gained the 51 per cent majority required to win his second four-year term, which officially starts on 1 May 2012

City corporate partner Louise Wallace has also been appointed to the CMS executive committee, the firm’s network-wide strategy board. Wallace, a partner since 1997, already sits on Camerons’ board and heads the firm’s consumer products group.

Weston became a partner in 1996 and his first term as managing partner began in 2008. He won more than 50 per cent of the vote in 2007 (26 November 2007), going against property head Edward Benzecry, commercial head Nigel Moore and corporate partners Niall McAlister and Louise Wallace.

Commenting on his re-election, Weston said: “I’m honoured to have been re-elected for the next four years, which will be crucial for the development of the firm.”

Under Weston’s reign, the firm has developed a more aggressive strategy in respect of the criteria for making partner. Earlier this year it ejected 15 of 20 partners who were part of a consultation process.

This was the culmination of a three-year overhaul that began in 2008, Weston’s first year as managing partner (29 September 2008).

This involved a comprehensive review of the business followed by a redundancy programme in 2009 and a six-month flex programme that saved 15 per cent of overhead costs. Around that time 6 per cent of the workforce was made redundant (5 May 2009).

The introduction of a competency-based career path for associates with three bands – lawyer, associate and senior associate – was followed by this year’s partnership review (21 June 2010).