Hoyland pips Aldenhoff in Simmons managing partner race

Hoyland won a two-way race against Germany chief Hans-Hemann Aldenhoff. He will take up the post in April 2011 once incumbent Mark Dawkins steps down following two terms in the role.

Both Hoyland and Aldenhoff hail from strategically important practices. Hoyland’s group accounts for the majority of Simmons’s £251m income. Aldenhoff meanwhile runs the German offices, which have been identified for further investment.

A source with knowledge of the situation told The Lawyer that Aldenhoff did not expect to win and that his candidacy was launched purely in a bid to create a contested election. Hoyland, however, disagreed.

“I don’t see it like this,” Hoyland told The Lawyer. “I think he’s a pretty high-quality guy and a serious-minded individual. I listened to what he had to say in the hustings and he didn’t strike me as somebody who was just going through the motions.”

Hoyland joined Simmons in 1989 as a trainee and qualified into the banking and capital markets department in London in 1991, becoming a partner in 1997. He worked in the Hong Kong office as head of international finance from 1998 to 2001.

He has held a number of management roles in the firm, including being a member of both the London management committee and international executive committee.

That said, he admitted it would take a while for all the ramifications of his new role to sink in.

“You’ve got to give me a little bit of time to get my thoughts together,” Hoyland added. “I’ve only known myself for about an hour.”

Senior partner David Dickinson said Hoyland would bring “considerable international experience and management expertise” to the role.

“I’m confident that his drive and ambition for the firm will deliver our international strategy,’’ added Dickinson. “Mark Dawkins has made a formidable contribution to the firm over the past six years, and has been integral to the firm’s progress. I would like to thank Mark for his strong leadership and many achievements during his two terms.”

Dickinson is expected to retire when his current term ends in June 2011. Head of the litigation practice Colin Passmore has been named as a potential candidate for the senior partner election.