Clydes senior partner Payton to step down after three decades at the helm
Clyde & Co senior partner Michael Payton is to stand down next year after leading the firm for 28 years, triggering senior partner elections at the firm.
Michael Payton
The vote for his replacement will take place on 28 February with candidates announcing their candidature early in the new year.
Payton has transformed Clydes from a 16-partner firm with £6m turnover in 1984 into a worldwide firm with turnover of £287m and 285 partners at the latest year end (5 July 2012).
Payton will stand down in November next year, when he will become chairman of the firm to oversee the transition to the new management.
The firm said it had consulted partners on whether to adjust its current management structure of a senior partner and chief executive working with an elected board, with day-to-day operational management handled by regional boards and practice committees.
The elected members of the main Clydes management board are James Burns, Robert Hill, Ben Knowles, Simon Konsta and John Morris.
Partner John Whittaker, who led the consultation process, said: “From our soundings, partners showed a desire to continue with strong leadership exercised by a senior partner. The soundings also endorsed a wish to retain Michael’s valuable knowledge and experience to provide continuity.
“Both we and the board felt the need to deal with this decisively and early and to allow an adequate period of time for a measured transition.”
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Readers' comments (23)
Anonymous | 30-Nov-2012 10:54 am
I'd be bricking it if I was in an under performing office now ... the curtain is falling on the 10-2 squad at the helm in Manchester now ...
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Manchester | 1-Dec-2012 9:49 pm
Why are things not working for Clyde's in Manchester?
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Anonymous | 1-Dec-2012 11:47 pm
nice to see at least 2 BLG partners still in a job.
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Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells | 5-Dec-2012 8:59 am
If revenue per partner in 1984 was £375k then in today's money (applying the increase in average earnings in the meantime) the revenue per partner should be £1.37m not £1m. In the real world, that's dilution, not growth.
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Anonymous | 5-Dec-2012 3:13 pm
... not sure why there is a need to divert attention to legacy BLG Manchester ... in whose interests would that be? Legacy BLG Oxford perhaps?
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Watching it unfold | 5-Dec-2012 6:12 pm
The Oxford office is probably useful for those with a country residence to almost work from home. If Simon Konsta gets elected - as seems to be the internal view - then he'll have a clear view on which of the provincial offices should close.
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Side Burns | 6-Dec-2012 1:54 pm
Oh my giddy aunt! Electing Simon as SP would make the Charge of the Light Brigade look like a sensible military exercise
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Dan London | 6-Dec-2012 3:12 pm
Perhaps the librarian at Pannone could give him some advice on campaigns whether military, electioneering, publicity or managing to secure . The truth remains - Konsta must be very high on the dimensions of strategy, leadership, and integrity relative to his peer group.
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Miles | 6-Dec-2012 3:49 pm
Watching Apocalypse Now with the sound turned down does not qualify anyone to run an international law firm!
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Lt. Col. Kilgore | 6-Dec-2012 4:32 pm
They're all wrapped too tight. Each time they look around the walls move in a little tighter ...
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Secret Admirer | 7-Dec-2012 12:01 pm
I'm gunning for Konsta! I think he's dreamy!
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Anonymous | 7-Dec-2012 12:21 pm
Re: "Konsta ... 'll have a clear view on which of the provincial offices should close.". I thought he lived closer to Guildford not Oxford.
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Anonymous | 7-Dec-2012 12:24 pm
Is that what Konsta does in the office (watch "Apocalypse Now" with the sound turned down)?
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Surf's up | 7-Dec-2012 3:44 pm
As Kilgore put it, you either surf or you fight. Time that the BLG guys came back with a rearguard action. Either that or get some board action - but rumour has it Barlow don't surf.
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Anonymous | 8-Dec-2012 5:09 am
This is what they've all been waiting for. The question is which if the losers will fracture off. Surely the Chairman will have a preferred successor...
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Anonymous | 10-Dec-2012 8:49 pm
Burns and Hasson would have to move on if Konsta wins as he is sure to do: their position would be untenable. Maybe Jabba can find a job for them in his new organisation? More realistically Burns would go to a US firm and Hasson go back to being a bean counter for a small firm.
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Streetcar | 11-Dec-2012 11:01 am
The Apocaplyse Now analogy is superb. Payton is Col. Kurtz and Konsta is Captain Willard! I love the smell of napalm in the morning - smells like ... victory
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Ash | 11-Dec-2012 2:47 pm
The AN analogies are superb. I particularly like the reference to the former Far East offices of BLG and surfing.
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Streetcar | 11-Dec-2012 6:20 pm
My money is on MP going to open a Cambodian office. 'Everyone gets everything he wants. I wanted a mission, and for my sins, they gave me one. Brought it up to me like room service ...'
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Anonymous | 14-Dec-2012 2:53 pm
There's no one in legacy BLG with international experience to take Clydes to the next level: their skills are in destroying not in creating.
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