Frontrunners emerge for Clyde & Co senior partner role

Sources close to the firm have also suggested that litigation partner Ben Knowles could be another leading candidate.

Payton’s decision to stand down from the senior partner role will bring an end to a 28-year leadership (30 November 2012). Chief executive Peter Hasson leads the management board and will oversee the election process. Payton will become chairman of the firm to manage the transition from November next year.

However, a source close to the firm suggested that although Konsta, who was senior partner at Barlow Lyde & Gilbert prior to that firm’s merger with Clydes, is the “obvious choice”, he may not want to stand.

They said: “James Burns has got to be up there. He must be a frontrunner from the Clydes side. On the BLG side, Kosta has done a version of the job before and in a sense is the most qualified for it and is well-versed now in the politics of the firm.

“He may have reassessed his situation after spending a year focusing more on his own practice.”

The vote for Payton’s replacement will take place on 28 February with candidates announcing their candidature early in the new year.

It follows the news that former Clydes COO David Jabbari has joined Pannone to run its referral network Connect2Law (6 December 1012).

The Lawyer examined the dynamics of Clydes’ management in the wake of last year’s £287m merger (29 October 2012).