DWF managing partner wins second term

DWF has re-appointed managing partner Andrew Leaitherland for a second three-year term, after he stood in an uncontested election.

He told The Lawyer: "The fact that no one else wanted to stand was a gesture of goodwill on the part of the partners and an endorsement of the strategy."

Leaitherland did not stand on the basis of a manifesto, but said that the three-year strategy launched in 2007 would still be in place.

The strategy includes the aim to make DWF a top 30 law firm by 2010.

In The Lawyer UK 200 2008 the firm ranked 53rd in terms of revenue, up from 66th place in 2006, the year that Leaitherland took up the post as the firm's first-ever managing partner.

Since then the firm posted a 12.5 per cent growth in fee income for the first six months of the 2008-09 financial year, (17 November 2008), and launched an insurance practice in London with teams from Davies Lavery and Weightmans ( 20 June 2008).

Despite this, Leaitherland admitted that his next term would present challenges. He said: "Like everyone else, we've got to keep an eye on working capital. We've done the usual nipping and pruning round the edges, but haven't had any major redundancy consultation exercises."

Meanwhile, Bircham Dyson Bell managing partner Guy Vincent has also been re-appointed for a further three years. Vincent continues in his role without formal elections having taken place.

"There was no need to go through the process of elections, everyone was very happy with how things were going under Guy's stewardship," a spokesperson said.