Clydes names insurance expert Burns as successor to senior partner Payton
Clyde & Co partner James Burns will succeed Michael Payton as senior partner of the firm after he stood unopposed, The Lawyer can reveal.
James Burns
Insurance partner Burns was widely tipped to take the role after Payton stands down to become chairman of the firm (30 November 2012). The firm said Burns will act in the capacity of senior partner elect until November, when the management changes will come into effect.
Burns joined the firm in 1989 and has been a partner since 1998. He has held a number of senior management positions within the firm, sitting on the global management board, the US management board and the Canada management board.
He has taken a lead role in the international development of the firm during a period when Clydes set out to rapidly expand its international footprint. This included the firm’s launch in Australia in October 2012 (2 July 2012), a move into Canada through a merger with Nicholl Paskell-Mede (NPM) (27 June 2011) and expansion into the US (8 February 2010).
He is also credited with taking a lead role on the firm’s transformative merger with Barlow Lyde & Gilbert (BLG) (8 August 2011), a move that led to the firm’s accelerated international expansion strategy (24 October 2011). Most recently Clydes planted a flag in Libya (12 August 2012).
Michael Payton
Burns said: “My goal is to build on the success the firm has achieved during Michael Payton’s tenure as leader. We now have a firm of some considerable scale to manage and significant further potential to realise.
“Together with the global management board and our management team, my intent is to provide the continuity, stability and strong leadership that has characterised the firm’s management approach over many years.”
Board member Simon Konsta, who was at one point believed to be in contention for the senior partner role, said: “I’ve known James for many years and he has my full support. It’s a testament to James’s contribution to and standing in the firm that he’s been elected and I’ve no doubt that he will continue to build on the success that the firm has achieved.”
Payton will stand down after 28 years at the helm (30 November 2012).
Readers' comments (9)
LMX spiral | 23-Jan-2013 4:40 pm
Is there anything in the fact that MIchael Payton's photo is in colour and James Burns' is in black and white?
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Catalogue man | 23-Jan-2013 5:11 pm
Konsta is certainly more "photogenic"
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Anonymous | 23-Jan-2013 11:46 pm
Suspect the contested election will take place once Payton's tenure as Chairman comes to an end. How would Major have felt with Thatcher staying in Cabinet as Chief Whip....
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Anonymous | 25-Jan-2013 7:54 am
I'd like to introduce you to a man who is like a son to me and will be your new leader. Please vote for him and risk incurring my wrath should you even dream of standing against him.
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Barry | 25-Jan-2013 11:42 am
Tony Blair handed a ticking time bomb to Gordon Brown. He was unelected, with no popular mandate, and was strategically positioned to take the flack for the inevitable forthcoming 'adjustment' and thereby make Tony look good. Except Tony could never look good because his true legacy was the disastrous invasion of Iraq. Draw your own parallels ...
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DJ | 25-Jan-2013 3:24 pm
OK, I get the Iraq/BLG dig/metaphor - very funny - but the Blair/Brown analogy is way off. For Monty and James read Putin and Medvedev. Unlike Brown, Monty will be back
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Don't shoot the DJ | 25-Jan-2013 3:43 pm
Bit sensitive David - but most people are unaware of your roots until now that is. Anyhow ... Anonymous probably has it right - Burns will last as long MP is in the chair and then the in-fighting may begin.
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Regime change | 26-Jan-2013 7:28 am
In an unopposed election you can still show your preference by choosing to abstain. Be interesting to know just how many partners did (or didnt) go to the ballot box. Cant imagine the volume or claims-handling guys at Clyde's will feel well represented by the new regime
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Trimming | 28-Jan-2013 3:32 pm
It will be interesting to see to what extent James' agenda it the exact opposite of Michael's ie dismantling parts of the firm that fail to perform and streamlining as opposed to building revenue and offices as quickly as possible in the hope of outmanoevering (or indeed buying out) the competition. Most outside and perhaps inside the firm expect Manchester to find another home - perhaps not the same for Oxford and Guildford.The General Liability / Casualty /personal Injury practices can't be truly profitable run out of London so they must be vulnerable to cuts or relocation. Equally some of the overseas operations must now be recognised as nice flags on the map but not contributing to the bottom line.
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