Clifford Chance partners have until next Wednesday (7 October) to vote for one of the two partners.
Jeremy Sandelson has been Clifford Chance London managing partner for four years while former Hong Kong-based partner Denis Brock led the Asian litigation practice since 1997 until 2006.
Sandelson said: “As managing partner of the London office I would like to feel that I have contributed to the stability of the firm during these challenging times. If elected I’d like now to try to build up our capabilities so we are recognised as the global leader in litigation and arbitration.”
Typically the role of global litigation head has been held by a US partner. Earlier this year The Lawyer reported that New York-based litigation head Mark Kirsch defected to US firm Gibson Dunn & Crutcher (The Lawyer, 10 June). Kirsch joined Gibson Dunn with partners Joel Cohen and Christopher Joralemon.
Since then, Clifford Chance has held fire on Kirsch’s replacement while it sought to redefine the global role.
Brock said: “My firm view is that emphasis of the role should be on leadership rather than managing the practice. Litigation is very different from other practice areas which have a different structure. This is an opportunity for us to prove we have a very strong global litigation practice.”
I work at Clifford Chance and I don’t even know who Denis Brock is. I think Jeremy has a much higher profile in London and is very well liked and respected. He’s very charismatic and has done very well in
light of the downturn. He’s also supported by Nick Munday the London lit head, because Jeremy is part of the same group and they go back a long way.
Anon at 4:35, there’s a reason they have the partners vote on these things and not associates. And I suppose someone in the Hong Kong office would be saying the same thing about Sandelson.
I am a former member of the Commercial Property department; it is clearly obvious that Jeremy is the best choice; I have no axe to grind!
Anonymous at 4.35pm: You probably don’t know who Brock is because you are not in Litigation. And that being said, with respect, whoever the global litigation head is, will probably not have a direct impact on the work you do. It is only right that the firm shifts its litigation focus to this side of the Atlantic. London aside, the emerging battlegrounds for global litigation and arbitration are Hong Kong and Singapore. CC Lit has just started out in Asia. You make an excellent argument on Sandelson’s credentials. He is well liked in London, he is respected, and has done very well in this downturn. Under his leadership, we will bounce back as a firm. Sandelson is an illustrious lawyer and fantastic CEO. But who CC Lit needs now is a hard-hitting, old school litigator with a wide network in Asia. And Brock, who has headed the Hong Kong office, and understands Asian business, is the right man for the job.
Looking at it from an objective point of view, surely the right person to pick is the one with the most successful experience in running within the field?
So therefore Denis Brock with his 9 years of running the Asian practice should get the job, as we must not forget basic maths – 9 is bigger than 4.
The fact that the head usually comes from the US shouldn’t even be a deciding factor.
Jeremy has overwhelming support in London and globally. Denis is a good lawyer and did a good job in Asia but he won’t get the job.
The big question is why is Nick Munday not running? He definitely wanted the job.
The big question here is what is CC looking for in a global head of litigation and where is the big business going to come from.
In terms of business and revenue the world is a very different place than what it was 18 months ago. The shift is to the East where the companies are actually growing versus contracting in the West. You NEED someone who can drive the business there and Brock is the best man for the job. He understands the Asian market and has fantastic credentials. If Sandelson gets the job this is going to put you back in Asia once again. The other issue is what qualities are you looking for. Sandelson is smooth and high profile in London. However, Brock is a revenue generator and a hard hitting litigator. For me there is no contest. CC has lost its way recently and you dont want to lose any more ground to the other firms.
PS I am not a lawyer but a client of the magic circle firms and a keen legal observer
This will be an interesting battle as it will define the future of Clifford Chance’s litigation practice and maybe even the future of Clifford Chance as a Firm.
I think the decision for the partners is whether they want a leader or a manager at the helm.
Jeremy Sandelson is very charming and a competent manager but Denis Brock is a rainmaker and in a market this thirsty, you have got to go where the water is. Rainmakers are few and far between.
Clifford Chance has lost its way and it needs fighters to retain its position and earnings.
I hope Denis Brock will get in but law breeds a lot of dinosaurs who see change as a threat not an opportunity. I hope the partners have the courage to choose Denis Brock. If they don’t, I fear we will continue to see CC’s credibility eroded relative to the other big players.
I am ex CC and now work for one of CC’s clients. I know both Jeremy Sandelson and Denis Brock.
Good luck to you both!
Because of Jeremy’s recent managerial roles, it appears to have been forgotten what an extremely good hard hitting litigator he is. He has also pulled in some substantial mandates, even whilst managing partner.
Both Denis and Jeremy would be ideal for the job and when all is said and done, are very evenly matches. It should be a great contest.
Both are more than capable of knocking CC off its litigation high horse and taking it back to a proper litigious practice. Let’s hope whoever wins succeeds on that count!
I am wondering why Jeremy would want to move from the more influential critical budget-holding position in London to the not-so-influential role of a practice leader, especially of a sinking practice like litigation at CC. Agree that Jeremy is charismatic, thus perhaps a wasted talent as a practice leader?
The reason that someone would want to move from the Head of London to Global Head of Practice is quite simple – to get back to being a lawyer. Running the London Office is a thankless task, and the managing partner has very little opportunity to actually manage; he (it’s never ben a she at CC) has to rely upon the collegiality of his fellow partners which, unfortunately, is lacking there. Jeremy has done his time in a tremendously difficult market. He deserves the opportunity to kick back and enjoy a broader remit within his area of expertise. I’m not a lawyer but I used to work closely with Jeremy and I can say with confidence that he is one of the “good guys”. It’s not just about charisma either, which makes his virtues sound too superficial; he’s fiendishly bright as well and has integrity – something that’s in short supply at CC.