Mark Kirsch has one of the most difficult jobs in Clifford Chance. As US head of litigation - effectively most of the firm’s business in the US - he has been tasked with turning round the old Rogers & Wells practice to bring it up to comparable profitability with the rest of the global operation.

What is more, Kirsch has to be the ambassador internally for the global message. No easy task when you are the sole remaining superpointer in the firm and when you have to follow in Jim Benedict’s wake.

In just a few months, Kirsch has brought a little stability to the practice. Clifford Chance is pinning a lot of its hopes on him.