Lawrence Graham rejigs heads

Lawrence Graham has put in place the last parts of an internal shake-up by replacing long-serving head of litigation Michael Edwards and private

client head Tim Thornton-Jones.

Edwards, who had headed the litigation department for 19 years, is

replaced by Andrew Dobson, while Thornton-Jones gives way to Andrew Young

who will head the tax and financial management department, which covers

private client work.

Edwards is going back to fee earning, and Thornton-Jones is concentrating

on the firm's investment management operation, says managing partner Bill

Richards.

Edwards quit his role to return to fee-earning litigation work. This

includes the high-profile Diana Memorial Fund litigation against

commemorative gifts company Franklin Mint in the US.

The internal shake-up comes on top of a spate of changes at Lawrence Graham.

The firm opened its own office in the Ukraine this year, in what was

described as a "shipping-led" initiative by Neil Everatt, the shipping

partner heading up the Mariupol-based Ukraine office.

The firm's shipping department has become part of litigation following the

decision to bring all its contentious work together except for the recently

expanded property team, which was boosted last year by acquiring the

property team from the now defunct Forsyte Saunders Kerman.

Laurence Graham now has four departments - litigation, tax and financial

management, company commercial, and property.

"Mike Lax was the head of the shipping department, although it was

effectively run by Imogen Rumbold, and they both remain a very significant

part of our litigation practice," says Richards.

"As managing partner, I now have heads of four main businesses who will

work with me."

"It wouldn't be right to characterise these appointments as marking the

way Lawrence Graham is developing for the future.

"They are part of a process of developing the business and focusing it

more on where we see our strengths in the future."