Julia Chain joins One 2 One

Garretts' former managing partner Julia Chain will join telephone company One 2 One as general counsel this week, as Garretts plans to elect a new national spokesperson.

In June, Chain announced she would be leaving to seek a new role outside private practice, but at the time she did not have a concrete job offer.

The managing partners of Garretts' major offices met last week to discuss implementing a new management structure at the firm following Chain's departure.

Peter Ridley, formerly head of Arthur Andersens' oil and gas practice group, who was appointed Garretts' managing director last December, is willing to remain in his post, provided he is elected by partners.

The partners will also elect one of their number to act as a national spokesperson without the title of "senior partner".

With Ridley taking an administrative management role, the firm feels it does not need a national strategic manager. Garretts has office managing partners and heads of service lines within each office, where a head is necessary.

An insider said: "Management is really at service line level, any post above that exists to serve those lines."